Campaign email: Val4Boe@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ValerieColl4boe/
Age: 62
Employment: Retired
Education: B.S. Elementary Ed, University of Massachusetts-Boston
Why are you running for the school board?
I want to apply my 32 years of work in the system to supply much needed voice and perspective from a classroom educator’s position.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
My professional experience in MCPS, my experience as an MCPS parent, my investment as a Montgomery County homeowner and my ability to listen carefully and apply reason thoughtfully.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Malala Yousafzai (Pakistani female education advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate) – her advocacy for education and her bravery in the face of known danger to do what she knew was right is noble. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things are worthy of admiration.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
Our BOE needs to be more engaged in directing and maintaining oversight of our multibillion-dollar system. This need for accountability is also necessary for the BOE. All other decisions regarding instruction, infrastructure and budget are driven by this need.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
I want our schools to invest more in supporting our system security employees with better professional development in mental health and improving communication with students and staff. I would like to see any partnership with local police and courts helping our parents and staff build better relationships with law enforcement.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
As long as we are bound to follow standards set by the state, we need to make sure that time is actually given to teach history, civics and geography in all grades. Too often in elementary school, time for social studies is limited and this lack of emphasis in early grades leads to lack of understanding or desire to learn more in upper grade levels.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
Books are constantly being evaluated, added and culled from libraries. Books that are outdated in terms of content should be removed. I think there is a real opportunity to engage parents about how to speak to their children about what they are reading and how to approach difficult topics that may be discomfiting to them.
