The Montgomery County School Board is composed of seven members who represent each of the seven voting districts in Montgomery County. The adult members elected by voters for a four-year term and a student is elected by secondary school students for a one-year term. The Board members are elected countywide but run at large, or from the Board district in which they reside. Current board members are: Shebra Evans, Brenda Wolff, Jeanette E. Dixon, Judith Docca, Patricia B. O’Neill, Karla Silvestre, Rebecca Smondrowski and student member Nathaniel Tinbite.
District 2 board member Rebecca Smondrowski is running for re-election. She was the only candidate from District 2 to have filed as of last week. She is chair of the board’s Special Populations Committee and a member of the Policy Management Committee. She is also a member of the Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Committee. “We’ve spent the past three or four years building a system to do the things we want to do, and now we’re ready and poised to do them,” Smondrowski said. “I feel like we’re on the cusp of doing really great things for student learning and achievement and I want to continue being part of that.”
Montgomery County Board of Education President Shebra Evans filed for another four-year term. Evans was elected in 2016 from District 4 and is a member of the board’s Strategic Planning Committee. “I am running for re-election to the Board of Education because I am proud of the work we are doing to address disparities in student outcomes by closing gaps in opportunity and achievement,” Evans wrote in a statement on Friday. “We continue to make progress, but there is still work to do. I believe my experience coupled with my leadership will be an asset as we advocate for resources to ensure the success for all students.”
Cameron Rhode who holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County filed for the at-large seat. A 2012 Poolesville High School graduate, said in an interview Thursday night that he believes he could bring a unique perspective to the board as a recent Montgomery County Public Schools student. His platform will include a focus on students’ physical and mental health.
Pavel Sukhobok also filed for the open at-large seat. Mr. Sukhobok runs a nonprofit in Kenya, the Makuyu Education Initiative, to help underprivileged children escape the vicious cycle of poverty, and is also a co-founder of a tutoring center in Montgomery County. ‘The most important issue in this race for me is the state of our education system. Many students in high school don’t know the basic grammar rules or how to do basic fractions. However, it is not their fault! For example, grammar is never taught in MCPS in any comprehensive way (or at all). Sure, learning the grammar rules or how to do basic fractions may not be fun, but how can students succeed without having strong reading, writing, and math skills? We need to get back to focusing on what school is about, which is instilling in our students a strong work ethic and equipping them with strong reading, writing and math skills,”Mr. Sukohobok said.
The seven adult members of the board all run countywide on a nonpartisan basis. The primary election is April 28 and the general election is Nov. 3. Each receives a $25,000 annual salary, and the board president receives $29,000.
The student member will be elected annually by middle school and high school students of Montgomery County.
Article by Dhruv Pai of Montgomery Blair High School
Image courtesy of Montgomery County Public Schools