Why I’m Sharing My 2026 Endorsement Questionnaire Responses

During my first campaign, I did not complete the TABCO and ESPBC candidate questionnaire for endorsement consideration. After four years of service on the Baltimore County Board of Education—during which I advocated for transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility on behalf of students, educators, and our community—I was given another opportunity to be considered for endorsement by Baltimore County’s two largest educator associations.

I completed and submitted the 2026 Board of Education Candidate Questionnaire and met with the endorsement selection committee. Ultimately, I was not selected. Instead, the associations endorsed my opponent.

I am sharing my complete responses to promote transparency and allow the public to evaluate my positions directly. The questions and answers below are presented as they were submitted to the selection committee on January 7, 2026—before my opponent filed for candidacy.

My Priorities for Baltimore County Public Schools

Throughout my service, I have focused on three priorities:

1. Improving student outcomes

2. Increasing transparency

3. Strengthening fiscal responsibility

Every decision made by the Board of Education should be measured against these goals. Our students deserve proven educational strategies, our educators deserve meaningful support, and taxpayers deserve to know how public funds are being spent.

Education Funding

BCPS has requested a fully funded operating budget year after year, yet millions of dollars have gone unused. Between 2020 and 2024, more than $150 million was returned to the county instead of being invested in classrooms.

That money could have helped reduce class sizes, hire educators and support staff, and improve student outcomes. We must ask why funds are being returned when our schools continue to face significant needs.

I will continue advocating for the reinstatement of a Budget Committee to strengthen oversight and accountability. Every dollar allocated for education should be used effectively and responsibly.

Recruiting and Retaining Educators

BCPS must reevaluate its entire budget process, from the initial proposal through the adopted budget and final expenditures. In 2024 alone, the district returned approximately $38.9 million to the county. Those funds could have supported the recruitment and retention of hundreds of educators, administrators, and support staff.

However, recruitment and retention are not solely financial issues. Educators also need consistent support, manageable class sizes, reliable student-behavior policies, and strong backing from school administrators and the central office.

We must restore educators’ ability to manage their classrooms effectively and ensure that behavior policies are implemented consistently across schools.

Public Funding for Private Schools

I oppose the current practice of allocating public funds to selected home-schooled and privately enrolled students.

If our public school system’s guiding principle is that every student can and will learn, then we must honor that commitment for all students, not only a select few. If BCPS is unable to provide an adequate education for every student, we must address those shortcomings within the public system rather than create unequal opportunities through selective funding.

Evaluations and Testing

I support local autonomy in developing educator-evaluation systems that comply with state law. I oppose replacing locally developed, mutually agreed-upon systems with one-size-fits-all models created by state or federal agencies.

I do not believe most students’ time should be dominated by test-taking. At the same time, reliable assessments are necessary to evaluate system performance and identify students who need targeted support.

Assessments should comply with state law, provide meaningful long-term data, and help educators identify skill gaps. Curriculum decisions should be informed by experienced educators and based on proven results.

Collective Bargaining

I support the collective-bargaining efforts of TABCO and ESPBC and recognize the important role these agreements play in establishing fair wages, benefits, and working conditions.

I would like to see the phrase “contingent upon a fully funded budget” removed from the agreements. BCPS consistently ends fiscal years with millions of dollars in unspent funds, and educator and support-staff contracts should be honored as fixed obligations.

I would also support efforts to provide full-time, 12-month salary status for as many educators and support staff as possible. These are full-time professionals who deserve compensation that reflects their responsibilities.

Mental Health and Student Support

Schools have an important role in promoting mental wellness, teaching coping skills, and establishing clear behavioral expectations. BCPS should also restore school psychologist positions eliminated because of budget constraints.

Families whose children need services beyond what schools can provide should receive clear information about available community and professional mental-health resources.

Technology and the Digital Divide

Students should have equitable access to technology during the school day. However, requiring the same level of technology access at home is not realistic for every family.

BCPS should prioritize high-quality, grade-appropriate technology courses for all students while ensuring that technology is not unnecessarily required for assignments across every subject. Quality should take precedence over quantity.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

BCPS must provide every student with equitable access to opportunities, resources, and support while maintaining high standards across all schools.

When a school demonstrates success in a particular area, the district should identify the practices that produced those results and determine how they can be adapted elsewhere. A transparent, data-driven system of quarterly reviews could help identify effective strategies, establish implementation timelines, and measure improvements in student outcomes.

Educators should have the professional autonomy to teach fact-based history and encourage respectful discussion of complex and controversial issues. Students need critical-thinking skills and the ability to engage in thoughtful debate.

Community Schools

I support community schools, particularly in areas of concentrated poverty. However, the model must be implemented with fidelity and tailored to each community’s needs.

Before expanding the program, BCPS should provide a detailed evaluation of existing community schools, including their impact on student outcomes. We must also determine whether the district has the financial capacity to expand the model while meeting the needs of all students.

Parent and Community Engagement

Increasing parental involvement has been one of my priorities as a board member, and I will continue that work.

Parents engage in different ways and face different barriers, including work schedules, transportation, family responsibilities, and financial challenges. Others may want to participate but feel that their voices are not heard.

BCPS can make involvement easier by giving parents meaningful access to lessons, assignments, assessments, projects, and instructional resources. Families should be welcomed, informed, and treated as valued partners in their children’s education.

Privatization

I oppose contracting out custodial, cafeteria, and maintenance services when those services can be provided by BCPS employees.

I do support an independent audit or evaluation of BCPS food and nutrition services. Between 2022 and 2024, the Food Service Enterprise Fund received more than $200 million in revenue but expended approximately $175 million. BCPS should determine whether those resources are being used as effectively as possible to improve food services for students and staff.

My Top Three Priorities

If elected to continue serving on the Board, I will remain focused on three objectives:

1. Student-Centered Decision-Making

Every policy and budget decision should improve students’ ability to learn and succeed. BCPS should invest in practices and curricula with demonstrated results rather than treating students as test subjects for unproven initiatives.

2. Transparency

Families and community members deserve timely access to school information, student resources, and data supporting district initiatives. Transparent communication builds trust and allows the public to hold BCPS accountable.

3. Fiscal Responsibility

Baltimore County residents deserve a clear explanation of how their tax dollars are being used. BCPS needs a detailed budget that identifies expenses by department and funding source, along with stronger oversight through a Budget Committee.

Returning millions of dollars to the county while schools continue to face significant needs requires serious examination. Financial stewardship is not merely about compliance, it is about maximizing every available resource for the benefit of students.

These priorities are interconnected. When we spend responsibly, communicate openly, and keep students at the center of decision-making, we create the conditions for every student to thrive.

That is the commitment I make to Baltimore County’s students, families, educators, and taxpayers.