A look at Howard County school board candidates
The Nov. 3 general election is less than a month away and, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some voters in Howard County have already received their mail-in ballots.
In the Board of Education race, the winners will make up the first school board to be voted in by residents from each of the five districts rather than in at-large balloting.
The races for the Howard County Board of Education are: District 1: incumbent Christina Delmont- Small vs. Matthew Molyett; District 2: Antonia Barkley Watts vs. Larry Pretlow II; District 3: Jolene Mosley vs. Tom Heffner; District 4: incumbent Jen Mallo vs. Sezin Palmer; District 5: Yun Lu vs. Cindy Vaillancourt.
Current Vice Chairperson Vicky Cutroneo and member Chao Wu will remain on the board through 2022, serving as the first two at-large members under the new system.
The Howard County Times/Columbia Flier recently sent a questionnaire to every Board of Education candidate in the five district races.
Below are their answers. They have been edited for clarity, style and length.
District 1 Why are you running to be on the Howard County Board of Education? Christina Delmont-Small: I’m running for re-election because I’ve been a proven public education advocate for 11 years, and I believe so strongly in public education. I believe I have made a difference, but there’s more work to be done. I look at all aspects/processes of the school system and address where we fall short so improvements can be made for students and educators. I bring a much needed commonsense approach to the [board] and make decisions based on listening to the community and stakeholders, data and facts, not emotions. I’ll continue to ask the hard questions and will expect that the [board] and community receive complete and accurate information before decisions are made. I’ll continue to increase the level of parent, student and community involvement in school system decisions. I won’t compromise when it comes to the Board of Education’s fiduciary responsibility to provide an outstanding public education, to support and sustain a school system to meet the needs of a variety of learners and be fiscally responsible. As a member of the Board of Education of Howard County, my responsibility is to the students, parents, teachers, community and taxpayers of Howard County. I must make decisions that are in the best interest of our students and our school system. I will expect and reinforce a Board of Education culture of transparency, accountability and oversight over the Board of Education and the school system.
Matthew Molyett: I’m running because my children, their friends and our community deserve great representation on the Board of Education. I want to represent all of the students of Howard County, including groups that are consistently left behind like our LGBTQ+ community, racialized students, students with mental health challenges and students with special needs.
District1needs a voice on the board that will fight to make our school system more transparent while still addressing the issues we care deeply about. We need a voice that will respect and support educators, not one that will vilify them and disregard the amazing work they do each and every single day. We need an expert in technology on the board who understands the importance of students having access to computers and Wi-Fi during digital learning. We need to rise to the challenges we face and take them head on, not avoid them for political convenience. We need board members able to work with the Democratic elected officials that control our school funding, the same officials that have endorsed my candidacy. As a board member, I won’t just say “no” to the community I serve when they ask for my support on issues. I’ll work with everybody in Howard County to get things done for our students, even with people who may disagree with me. I can’t wait to get to work for our amazing school system, and I ask for your vote on Nov. 3.
The board voted over the summer to have school in Howard County be 100% virtual through January. Did you agree with that decision? Should the school system start a hybrid model sooner than February? Delmont-Small: I voted no because parents were not part of the decision and they should have a voice in their child’s education and the proposal to adopt a 100% virtual option and a [semester-based] model for middle and high school students.
HCPSS did not provide safety metrics or data/rationale for their recommendations.
Not having an opportunity for parents and the community to provide input on the vast array of the struggles they faced with virtual learning, and for the board to consider their concerns and ideas before a decision is made, is not a step toward a successful education experience for our students. As
In the Board of Education race, the winners will make up the first school board to be voted in by residents from each of the five districts rather than in at-large balloting.
The races for the Howard County Board of Education are: District 1: incumbent Christina Delmont- Small vs. Matthew Molyett; District 2: Antonia Barkley Watts vs. Larry Pretlow II; District 3: Jolene Mosley vs. Tom Heffner; District 4: incumbent Jen Mallo vs. Sezin Palmer; District 5: Yun Lu vs. Cindy Vaillancourt.
Current Vice Chairperson Vicky Cutroneo and member Chao Wu will remain on the board through 2022, serving as the first two at-large members under the new system.
The Howard County Times/Columbia Flier recently sent a questionnaire to every Board of Education candidate in the five district races.
Below are their answers. They have been edited for clarity, style and length.
District 1 Why are you running to be on the Howard County Board of Education? Christina Delmont-Small: I’m running for re-election because I’ve been a proven public education advocate for 11 years, and I believe so strongly in public education. I believe I have made a difference, but there’s more work to be done. I look at all aspects/processes of the school system and address where we fall short so improvements can be made for students and educators. I bring a much needed commonsense approach to the [board] and make decisions based on listening to the community and stakeholders, data and facts, not emotions. I’ll continue to ask the hard questions and will expect that the [board] and community receive complete and accurate information before decisions are made. I’ll continue to increase the level of parent, student and community involvement in school system decisions. I won’t compromise when it comes to the Board of Education’s fiduciary responsibility to provide an outstanding public education, to support and sustain a school system to meet the needs of a variety of learners and be fiscally responsible. As a member of the Board of Education of Howard County, my responsibility is to the students, parents, teachers, community and taxpayers of Howard County. I must make decisions that are in the best interest of our students and our school system. I will expect and reinforce a Board of Education culture of transparency, accountability and oversight over the Board of Education and the school system.
Matthew Molyett: I’m running because my children, their friends and our community deserve great representation on the Board of Education. I want to represent all of the students of Howard County, including groups that are consistently left behind like our LGBTQ+ community, racialized students, students with mental health challenges and students with special needs.
District1needs a voice on the board that will fight to make our school system more transparent while still addressing the issues we care deeply about. We need a voice that will respect and support educators, not one that will vilify them and disregard the amazing work they do each and every single day. We need an expert in technology on the board who understands the importance of students having access to computers and Wi-Fi during digital learning. We need to rise to the challenges we face and take them head on, not avoid them for political convenience. We need board members able to work with the Democratic elected officials that control our school funding, the same officials that have endorsed my candidacy. As a board member, I won’t just say “no” to the community I serve when they ask for my support on issues. I’ll work with everybody in Howard County to get things done for our students, even with people who may disagree with me. I can’t wait to get to work for our amazing school system, and I ask for your vote on Nov. 3.
The board voted over the summer to have school in Howard County be 100% virtual through January. Did you agree with that decision? Should the school system start a hybrid model sooner than February? Delmont-Small: I voted no because parents were not part of the decision and they should have a voice in their child’s education and the proposal to adopt a 100% virtual option and a [semester-based] model for middle and high school students.
HCPSS did not provide safety metrics or data/rationale for their recommendations.
Not having an opportunity for parents and the community to provide input on the vast array of the struggles they faced with virtual learning, and for the board to consider their concerns and ideas before a decision is made, is not a step toward a successful education experience for our students. As
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
