I will reach out to parents, PTAs, PTSAs, and attend their meetings. Visit schools to hear and see how are students doing first hand.

I will advocate the county and state to allocate appropriate resources to renovations and constructions of new schools that are needed. Prepare and presents the facts and the needs to the county and state.

I will support parents, schools, and communities join forces to teach the students with love, respect, friendship towards each other, and the correct way to address conflicts and different opinions.

Cost and benefit analysis is the key for the budget management. The Blueprint for Education goals should be implemented gradually according to the fundings and resources available, and should cause least interruption to the existing programs.

The most pressing issue is to deal with the operating budget short fall and the potential of cutting the programs and teachers. The candidate for the job should have experiences, ability to lead, able to make rational judgement on spending among different programs, and willing to listen to parents, teachers, and students.

I would like to implement youth outreach programs by being visible and available for discussions at various events such as sporting events, band concerts, and after-school clubs without favoring any student group. Collaborate with PTAHC and other similar groups for parental input, HCEA for educator perspectives, engage with the community, and host regular informal meetings.

The average age of ES and HS is 35 years, and the average age of our MS is 40 years, with over 250 portables currently in use. It is crucial to prioritize the construction and upkeep of our schools promptly. Given the ongoing funding challenges, exploring innovative solutions like collaborating with the county to issue school bonds, seeking extra funding from the county and state, and implementing bottom-up budgeting to root out inefficiencies are some of the essential steps we must take.

This topic needs a thorough conversation. The overarching approach should be to prioritize education on these topics as a proactive measure, exemplifying empathy and providing counseling post-incident, and having consequences for repeat offenders or if the situation warrants. Naturally, the execution of these steps must take into account the student's age and other relevant factors. The consequences would vary significantly between a first grader and a high school senior.

Our budget doesn't have adequate funds to sustain all the outstanding programs that contribute to the excellence and desirability of HCPSS. Structural funding changes by collaborating with the County and State are crucial at this point. It is important to adopt a bottom-up budgeting to eliminate inefficiencies and prioritize essential areas. Immediate attention must be given to addressing the deficiencies in the capital budget before any potentially serious consequence arise.

The top priorities for the incoming superintendent is to increase the Operating and Capital Budget in order to prevent any cuts to educators or essential programs that set us apart and implement bottom-up budgeting approach to root out inefficiencies, and establish a task force to explore avenues for revenue growth. These challenges require a visionary leader who can think creatively and objectively prioritize school infrastructure upgrades without without succumbing to political influence.

I want HCPSS to have excellent and inclusive curriculum, programs, and policies that serve every student. I value thoughtful feedback and insights when making decisions. As a Board member, I will read every letter and listen to every person that takes the time to come before the Board and I will consider what they share.

Long range plans should not be changing so drastically year to year. Addressing capital needs has to be based on objective data so that we can avoid costly emergencies and so we don’t ignore communities that cannot rally a large protest. Dedicated funding for our deferred maintenance is needed as well as adequate fees for development to address its impact on enrollment growth.

Students cannot learn when they don't feel safe. Many students are dealing with trauma or mental health concerns. We need to help students build tools for handling conflict with peers and connect students to resources to ensure needs are being met. We need to address problems before they become big and start when students are young. As we work to address root causes of disruptive behavior we also need to make sure that the targets of bullying and violence are not being further victimized.

Blueprint offers us an opportunity to invest in our schools and ensure an excellent education for every student. While some changes may be needed in the law, how it's implemented and funded, and in how we do some things in Howard County; we want to expand access to early childhood education, attract and retain amazing teachers, help students become college and career ready, and make sure that every student has the educational supports they need to succeed. The budget must advance these goals.

This decision is happening before the election but I will share my input. The next superintendent needs the following: commitment to transparency, willingness to collaborate and partner with all stakeholders, experience with HCPSS or a school system of similar size, and capability to plan for the long term as HCPSS faces budget challenges, works to implement Blueprint, and faces the teacher shortage. Restoring trust in HCPSS will also be a crucial challenge for the next superintendent.