The Gazette's 2006 Board of Education Endorsements
August 23, 2006
Montgomery County's desire for a top-tier public school system is reflected in the quality of candidates running for seats on the Board of Education. Nearly all are very well educated and have deep roots in the school system, either as educators, administrators or parent volunteers with leadership roles on PTAs or other groups. They have a passion for excellence.
This fall, there's the potential for as many as four new faces on the eight-member school board. (One member is a student, with limited powers, elected by secondary school students).
Charles Haughey, the board president, and member Gabriel Romero, are not seeking another term. If Valerie Ervin wins a seat on the County Council, her Fourth District school board chair will open, with a replacement to be named. And incumbent Nancy Navarro faces two credible challengers in her Fifth District race.
This election will help define the direction the board will take during what is shaping up to be another challenging year for the nation's 17th largest school district. More progress is needed on middle school reforms, shifting demographics pose continuing pressures, too many students remain in temporary classroom buildings, test scores must show improvement and the contract of the superintendent, Jerry Weast, is expiring.
Montgomery's school system is one of the nation's finest and its school board and superintendent set the performance bar high. That's not to suggest the inner workings are perfect.
Critics have complained that the current board could be more open. There's a perception in some camps that members merely rubber-stamp in public policy decisions they made in private, and that some are little more than Weast's lap dogs.
In addition, the school board must be able to get along with the County Council, which funds most of the system's $1.8 billion budget.
Among the nearly dozen candidates, there are standouts worthy of endorsement:
* Shirley Brandman, one of five running at-large, has experience as a teacher and lawyer and will bring a pragmatic approach to solving problems.
* In District 1, Judith R. Docca, a retired principal, will add an insider's view.
* Patricia B. O'Neill, unopposed in the Third District, has been a stable influence.
* And in the Fifth District, two parents who have been deeply involved in the schools of their children over the years are challenging Navarro, appointed to fill an open seat in October 2004. The challengers, Phil Kauffman and Susie Werner Scofield, both are lawyers and have a solid grasp of issues, from curriculum to class size. Yet Navarro has proven to be a capable member who, through hands-on experience and hard work, has grown into the job. As a founder of a nonprofit group that helps Latinos and other immigrants, she adds a key dimension to the board. Navarro deserves a full, four-year term.
