Q&A with SMOB Candidate Hana O’Looney
Hana O’Looney is running for what many consider to be MCPS’s most coveted student position – the Student Member of the MCPS Board of Education. O’Looney has been involved in advocacy since sixth grade, having held positions as vice president of the MCR-SGA and president of MCJC, the middle school counterpart. O’Looney also is the co-chair of MoCoEmpowHER, MCPS’s female advocacy and empowerment organization. She made a lot of noise when she testified in front of the BOE and led the unanimous passage of free menstrual products in MCPS schools. O’Looney “has dedicated every spare moment of the last six years to getting acquainted with the MCPS policymaking process and serving students.” And she looks forward to continuing her work as SMOB.
- Why are you running for SMOB?
“As a lifelong MCPS student that has attended schools in six high school clusters, and the Vice President of the countywide student government association whose job is to be in constant communication with leaders from every high school in the county, I have personally seen the huge disparities in educational opportunities that are given to students, especially those in the DCC, NEC, and other under resourced regions of our county. I am running for SMOB because your zip code in Montgomery County should not determine the courses, extracurriculars, resources, or infrastructure you have access to. Whether it’s through utilizing the MCPS anti-racism audit, reopening schools, or distributing equitable funding to schools that need it most, I want to ensure that students in every region of Montgomery County have access to the world-class education that they deserve, and that this seat is an opportunity for all of our voices to be heard.”
- Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the Board of Education?
“One issue that motivated me to get involved in educational equity policy in the very first place was menstrual equity. In January of last year, the Board of Education was having a public conversation entertaining the feasibility of switching to two-ply toilet paper, which seemed like a ridiculous action to consider when our menstruating students still were not being provided their basic human right at schools. I testified at an operating budget hearing demanding that free menstrual hygiene products be allocated into our budget, and worked with MCPS staff for over a year to get them implemented into our school system.”
- What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members?
“I’m not just talking about creating change in our educational system, I’ve been enacting it. I’ve committed myself to MCPS and promoting educational equity behind the scenes for over five years now, reforming our county’s mental health policy, getting rid of PARCC exams, and securing free menstrual hygiene products along the way because our voices matter. With the menstrual hygiene product initiative, in particular, I spent over a year testifying to the Board of Education, calling and emailing current Board members, and meeting with MCPS staff to get the resolution to pass in December 2020, and I can promise MCPS students that this is the same level of commitment you will see from me if I am elected.”
- What do you see as the major issue(s) facing your school district? Public education?
“If I’m being honest, I truly think this SMOB election is the most important of any of our lifetimes, or at least during my personal time here in MCPS. From reopening schools to the boundary analysis, the future of the SRO program to the antiracism audit, and the ongoing superintendent search to impending budget cuts, there has really never been an election quite like this one with as many important, defining decisions coming up during a singular SMOB term. That’s why this year, more than ever, I really think it’s important to elect someone who has demonstrated a long history of commitment to our school system and our students.”
“For the purposes of this interview, I can hit on probably the biggest issue on everyone’s mind, reopening schools. In terms of return to in-person learning, MCPS has already committed to their current timeline of bringing all interested students back into the school building by the end of the year, but in addition to supporting students’ physical health through loads of PPE, sanitation, and health checks, I think it’s also extremely important to think about the impact of reopening schools on students’ mental health. I want to make sure that MCPS provides ample mental health and socio-emotional support for students in the return to in-person school, because navigating in-person relationships, assignments, and expectations for the first time all over again is no doubt going to be an extremely taxing process for students. This means investing in more counselors and school psychologists now, because students’ mental health should not wait for anyone.”
- As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts?
“Study after study done on the presence of armed police officers in our schools has concluded that they do not make us any safer from intrusions or attacks, while criminalizing black, brown, and disabled students and feeding them into the school-to-prison pipeline. I have spoken to so many students of color and disabled students throughout my campaign who shared with me how uncomfortable the presence of these officers has made them, and how they make them feel unsafe and worried within their school buildings. Students should never have to fear for their lives or safety at school, and so I would like to take the $30 million that is invested into this program every year and spend it on security systems that are proven to be effective, including technology such as security cameras and locks on doors, in addition to reinvesting in our students through more mental health and counseling support. Schools should be places where we build students’ futures, not destroy them, and our funding needs to reflect that.”
- How will you engage the community to improve public schools in the district?
“Navigating the first-ever fully virtual SMOB campaign has definitely been difficult, and there is nothing I would like more right now than to be visiting Churchill and other schools in-person, hearing from students, and passing out stickers. Instead, this year, I have tried to make the most of the situation by continuing to visit schools through administratively sponsored zoom calls with students, attending club meetings for various clubs and organizations throughout the county, hosting frequent live streams and open “office hours” on social media, creating engaging digital content, and making myself available to a 1:1 zoom call with any student who requests it.”
“Throughout my term, I hope to be the first SMOB to visit every middle and high school at least once per semester, and I am also committed to hosting weekly live-streams on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Zoom for students to ask me questions and for me to give updates on what the Board has been working on. I plan to continue to be available and accessible to any student, having an open scheduling system to allow any student to request a 1:1 meeting with me.”
- How would you describe an effective school board member?
“An effective school board member, especially an at-large student member, is someone who doesn’t try to have their singular experience speak on behalf of all students, and who is committed to sharing their seat with other students. That’s certainly something I’m committed to doing, and I have already taken steps to ensure that I am using my position as an opportunity for all students to be heard by being the first SMOB candidate in MCPS history to have an open Student Advisory Committee during their campaign, as well as DCC and NEC coalitions to reach out to historically underrepresented regions of our county.”
- As a school board member, from whom will you seek advice or input in weighing key decisions?
“I want to make sure that I am seeking advice from all students, and not just those who are the most engaged in their schools and in countywide advocacy. That’s why I’m committed to being an accessible and available SMOB by being the first person to visit every middle and high school at least once a semester, and it’s also why I plan to create monthly SMOB minute videos for distribution on all elementary, middle, and high school announcement channels, in addition to a monthly newsletter for all students. I am also committed to hosting my SMOB Advisory Council Town Halls across the county, hosting some in the DCC/NEC region and some virtually so that students who traditionally struggle to reach countywide policy meetings in Rockville can access them easily from home.”
- Describe the achievement gap in this district. What causes it? What can be done?
“I don’t believe the problem in this county is with differing levels of achievement. I think that if every student were given the same educational resources to succeed, they would. The problem lies with the opportunity gap, in which students are given different levels of educational support, resources, and opportunities to further their academic experience. Schools located in wealthier communities are able to provide more, higher-quality experiences for their students, while schools located in lower-income, often majority-minority areas are left on the sidelines with minimal support. I want to work to ensure that every student, regardless of school, income, or language, is given the same opportunities to succeed, which means supporting schools located in historically underrepresented and underfunded areas.”
“Some specific policy ideas I have to combat the opportunity gap include a universally free county-based SAT/ACT/AP/IB/magnet exam preparation course, so that cost isn’t a barrier to opportunity, investing in early childhood education like pre-k and head start, and expanding classes, extracurriculars, and programs at every school so where you come from or who you are doesn’t determine your educational experience.”
- If any student wants to reach out to you, how should they do that?
“My website is www.hana4smob.com which lists all of the different ways to reach me, but my email address is Hana_O’Looney@mcpsmd.org and my social media is @hana4smob on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter. You can also text @hana4smob to 81010 to text me! On my website is a scheduling tool students can use to set up a 1:1 meeting with me, and I am always available through DM, text, or email to answer any questions.”
Article by Nour Faragallah of Walter Johnson High School
Photo Courtesy of Hannah O’Looney’s Twitter