Campaign email: ihave3siblings@gmail.com
Age: 63
Employment: Editor of a small-town weekly newspaper
Education: B.A., magna cum laude, Washington College in Chestertown
Why are you running for the school board?
I want our students to get the very best education they can, which means hiring and retaining excellent teachers; increase the resources we can offer students and staff; and keep politics out of education.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have eight years experience as a board member; I am immersed in my community as a sports coach and volunteer with several nonprofits; I attended our local schools; and my career as a journalist has been a career of service to my community.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
No one comes readily to mind. The people I admire most are not necessarily public leaders.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
Poor test scores. Declining enrollment. High percentage of poverty among families with school-age children. If elected I would prioritize additional supports for our students, such as tutors, upgrade technology and increase professional development for teachers.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
No school district is immune to a threat of violence. That’s why students and all staff should have ALICE (short for “alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate” active shooter) training. Policies that are in place should be enforced. There should be more school resource officers.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
I wish we taught more of our local history, both good and bad, from colonial times to today.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
I don’t believe in censorship.
