Calvert County Board of Education District 3 voters guide

Calvert County Board of Education District 3 voters guide

Name: Jeanette Flaim

Town of residence: Town of Chesapeake Beach

Age: 60

Question 1: Do you feel board of education members should weigh in on what books are allowed or banned from schools?

I support the school board’s Policy 2305 and procedures where the school librarian, who has the education and expertise, selects materials that, amongst other criteria, incorporates age appropriate materials, curates accurate and authentic factual content from authoritative sources, provides a global perspective, promotes diversity by including materials by authors and illustrators of all cultures and reflects the population of the student body. In 2021 Calvert County Public Schools won the National School Library of the Year from the American Association of School Librarians. We are very fortunate to have amazing librarians on our staff. If a parent or guardian has a concern about a book, they can talk to the school librarian and principal about that book and they can also submit a request for reconsideration to the school system.

Question 2: What would be your approach to solving the ongoing issues regarding school discipline?

Calvert public schools’ Policy Statement 3215 Regarding Student Behavior Interventions and Procedures and the Positive Behavior Interventions, Strategies, and Supports (PBIS) Program adheres to Maryland COMAR requirements regarding discipline of students. School-wide PBIS programs have been shown to improve school atmosphere and reduce disciplinary problems. School behavioral professionals say a student in crisis will act out to bring attention to the fact that they are not ok. A team approach is needed to help a student, beginning with the administrator supporting the teacher and starting disciplinary action, if indicated. Then the counselor needs to talk to the student to find out what is going on and schedule an informal meeting with the parents/guardians, administrator, teacher, and student (if possible), to address the issues and develop a plan with the student. Teachers are expected to do so much for our students and smaller class sizes and more support staff would be beneficial to all students.

Question 3: Do you support the school system’s superintendent, and do you have any specific praise or criticism for the superintendent?

Calvert public schools’ Superintendent Andraé Townsel is very engaged with the community and I have found him to be a positive role model. At various events like the History Fair Awards, CTA open house, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. event hosted by the NAACP, Townsel is always interacting and uplifting the students and our community. Townsel became the superintendent in 2022 and has already been voted as the president-elect of the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland, quite an achievement for him and reflects well upon the Calvert school system. I would ask Townsel to re-evaluate the decision to require parents/guardians to opt-in for some reading materials instead of the established procedure of having parents/guardians opt-out.

Name: Melissa Goshorn

Town of residence: Sunderland

Age: 39

Question 1: Do you feel board of education members should weigh in on what books are allowed or banned from schools?

The board of education establishes policies guiding the school system’s operations. Elected to represent Calvert residents, board members must ensure policies create an excellent academic environment. I believe this includes ensuring books are age-appropriate, support the curriculum and encourage a love for reading.

Question 2: What would be your approach to solving the ongoing issues regarding school discipline?

We need to start with enforcing the current policies and code of conduct. For example, schools are drug free zones, Policy 1540 and Procedure 1540.2 says students found in possession may be: arrested and charged, barred from attending extracurricular activities and/or suspended for up to 10 days. That is not happening today. Additionally, we need to ensure all school building staff are trained in the methods the school system has decided to implement. Lastly, explicit direction may need to be included in school policy or the supporting procedure to ensure disciplinary cohesion across all of Calvert public school buildings.

Question 3: Do you support the school system’s superintendent, and do you have any specific praise or criticism for the superintendent?

The success or failure of a school system does not fall on one person alone. Superintendent Andraé Townsel, our current Calvert public school system superintendent, has been here for about two years. He inherited a lot of complex issues from his predecessor. Townsel has made some obvious mistakes, such as the “Super Bowl” trip, however he has also learned from mistakes like that and not repeated them. That being said, I am extremely frustrated by the escalation of negative behaviors in our school system, something his multi-tiered system of support is supposed to address. Contract negotiations and budget delays are inexcusable. I appreciate his desire to be out in the community and believe his positivity is refreshing, but it’s time to get to work.

Name: Kelly McConkey

Town of residence: Dunkirk

Age: 56

Candidate Kelly McConkey did not return questionnaire.