Teachers’ union backs 3 for school board
The Howard County teachers’ union has endorsed three candidates for the Board of Education in the general election in November.
The Howard County Education Association, which represents 7,400 school system employees, endorsed Antonia Barkley Watts in District 2, Jolene Mosley in District 3 and Cindy Vaillancourt in District 5. Union President Colleen Morris said the union will not be endorsing candidates in districts 1 or 4.
“Our members saw this election as a chance to hold the current Board of Education accountable and to recommend candidates who will partner with us to forcefully advocate for needed funding for our schools,” Morris said in a June 23 news release. “All of these candidates bring diverse experiences with them, but they share a commitment to uplifting the voice of educators, especially in tough economic times.”
Two of the candidates that the teachers’ union endorsed had blowout victories in the primary. One of them was Watts, who ran away with 56% of the vote. Larry Pretlow, Watts’ general election opponent, edged out James Cecil for the second spot by 1.2%.
“Our members were particularly impressed by [the Watts] campaign’s call to listen to and unify our community, her vision for a diverse, equitable and inclusive school system and her commitment to educators as more than mere employees,” said Rebecca Otte, a fourth grade teacher at Fulton Elementary School and chair of the union’s Government Relations Committee, in the release.
Watts said she believes she was endorsed by the union due to her “diverse background” as a classroom teacher, parent and current trustee for the Howard County Library System.
“I was very excited to get the endorsement,”
Watts said. “It means a lot to know the educators saw me as a possible member of the Board of Education.”
Mosley also scored an easy primary victory, garnering 66% of the vote in District 3. She now will go against Tom Heffner (26%) in the general election.
“I’m very thankful. I really do appreciate the support,” said Mosley, who is on two school system advisory committees. “I think the teachers may see I do support education as a whole, in the classroom and in the school system.”
The HCEA’s final endorsement was in District 5. The union picked Vaillancourt, a former school board member from 2010 to 2018, over Yun Lu, who finished first in the primary with almost 37% of the vote.
Vaillancourt, meanwhile, narrowly earned a spot on the general election ballot after finishing 66 votes ahead of Gene Ryan.
“Cindy has a proven track record of support for our public schools,” Otte said.
“She has consistently stood up for educators when it counted most.”
Vaillancourt said Lu would be a “terrific” board member but added that she believes she was chosen due to her “track record.”
“There will be a lot of important stuff that will be thrown at this new board right away,”
Vaillancourt said. “So all the people who join the board will really have to … have as much experience as possible so they’re able to take confident action as quickly as possible.”
The union said it was not endorsing the two incumbents — Christina Delmont- Small in District 1 and Jen Mallo in District 4.
Delmont-Small and her opponent Matthew Molyett both automatically moved on to the general as the only two candidates on the primary ballot. Mallo, meanwhile, will face off against Sezin Palmer. Mallo garnered 33% of the vote, while Palmer received 27.5% to finish ahead of incumbent Kirsten Coombs, who was seeking a second term after winning in 2016.
“It is a reminder to elected officials that our members pay close attention to what our elected officials say and do,” Morris said.
“We have seen firsthand how those decisions impact our schools and our students, and we will continue to hold elected officials accountable to their promises.”
The five winners in November will join current Vice Chair Vicky Cutroneo and member Chao Wu. Cutroneo and Wu are serving as the first two at-large members. In 2022, Cutroneo and Wu will compete for the two at-large seats, which will be chosen by all county voters.
The Howard County Education Association, which represents 7,400 school system employees, endorsed Antonia Barkley Watts in District 2, Jolene Mosley in District 3 and Cindy Vaillancourt in District 5. Union President Colleen Morris said the union will not be endorsing candidates in districts 1 or 4.
“Our members saw this election as a chance to hold the current Board of Education accountable and to recommend candidates who will partner with us to forcefully advocate for needed funding for our schools,” Morris said in a June 23 news release. “All of these candidates bring diverse experiences with them, but they share a commitment to uplifting the voice of educators, especially in tough economic times.”
Two of the candidates that the teachers’ union endorsed had blowout victories in the primary. One of them was Watts, who ran away with 56% of the vote. Larry Pretlow, Watts’ general election opponent, edged out James Cecil for the second spot by 1.2%.
“Our members were particularly impressed by [the Watts] campaign’s call to listen to and unify our community, her vision for a diverse, equitable and inclusive school system and her commitment to educators as more than mere employees,” said Rebecca Otte, a fourth grade teacher at Fulton Elementary School and chair of the union’s Government Relations Committee, in the release.
Watts said she believes she was endorsed by the union due to her “diverse background” as a classroom teacher, parent and current trustee for the Howard County Library System.
“I was very excited to get the endorsement,”
Watts said. “It means a lot to know the educators saw me as a possible member of the Board of Education.”
Mosley also scored an easy primary victory, garnering 66% of the vote in District 3. She now will go against Tom Heffner (26%) in the general election.
“I’m very thankful. I really do appreciate the support,” said Mosley, who is on two school system advisory committees. “I think the teachers may see I do support education as a whole, in the classroom and in the school system.”
The HCEA’s final endorsement was in District 5. The union picked Vaillancourt, a former school board member from 2010 to 2018, over Yun Lu, who finished first in the primary with almost 37% of the vote.
Vaillancourt, meanwhile, narrowly earned a spot on the general election ballot after finishing 66 votes ahead of Gene Ryan.
“Cindy has a proven track record of support for our public schools,” Otte said.
“She has consistently stood up for educators when it counted most.”
Vaillancourt said Lu would be a “terrific” board member but added that she believes she was chosen due to her “track record.”
“There will be a lot of important stuff that will be thrown at this new board right away,”
Vaillancourt said. “So all the people who join the board will really have to … have as much experience as possible so they’re able to take confident action as quickly as possible.”
The union said it was not endorsing the two incumbents — Christina Delmont- Small in District 1 and Jen Mallo in District 4.
Delmont-Small and her opponent Matthew Molyett both automatically moved on to the general as the only two candidates on the primary ballot. Mallo, meanwhile, will face off against Sezin Palmer. Mallo garnered 33% of the vote, while Palmer received 27.5% to finish ahead of incumbent Kirsten Coombs, who was seeking a second term after winning in 2016.
“It is a reminder to elected officials that our members pay close attention to what our elected officials say and do,” Morris said.
“We have seen firsthand how those decisions impact our schools and our students, and we will continue to hold elected officials accountable to their promises.”
The five winners in November will join current Vice Chair Vicky Cutroneo and member Chao Wu. Cutroneo and Wu are serving as the first two at-large members. In 2022, Cutroneo and Wu will compete for the two at-large seats, which will be chosen by all county voters.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
