Skip to main content

Someone to Believe In

Last Friday I had a chance to sit down and have lunch with Wendy Jane Royalty, who is a candidate for County Council in District 1. This is the seat held at present by Courtney Watson, who is a candidate for County Executive. Wendy and I had been introduced by a mutual friend who thought we might have some things in common.

Well, we did. Plenty, as it turns out. But I want to focus on one thing in particular, as it is near and dear to my heart: education.

Wendy and I share a deep respect for teachers, and concerns about low morale in our schools amongst our education professionals. Perhaps it is her background as a community activist, her training as a social worker, or her first-hand experience in schools as a parent. At any rate, she sees teachers and parents as partners in the ongoing process of educating our children and lifting our community up.

We discussed fair and positive treatment for teachers, the voice of teachers and parents in school reform, the complex needs of students as human beings, and the need for a dynamic Board of Education that sees an obligation to stakeholders.

Partnership and advocacy mean a lot to me. I want to see people in public service who are leading for the right reasons. Politics isn't a game of upmanship to me; it really should be about helping people. Ms. Royalty is the kind of person who places value on interactions with people--she's focused, listening, thinking. Ready to put it all together and do something.

Anyone who has worked in community activism knows the feeling when you meet someone who combines the right amount of enthusiasm, commitment, and determination. If you walk away from that meeting thinking of projects on which you could collaborate, it means something. It is the potential of working together for positive good.

I'm looking for candidates in all of our local races who support the whole picture of education, and most especially teachers, parents, and students. We can say all we want that "these issues are handled by the Board of Education." That's not enough. We all need to be committed to making our schools a positive and equitable environment.

Now, I don't live in District 1. Perhaps you don't either. But we all stand to win if we support responsive, collaborative candidates.

Give it some thought.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more