Brenda Diaz

[Anonymous]

I don't know if there are other forums where ex-coworkers of her have replied but I remember hearing that she constantly showed up late to Gaithersburg HS and other teachers had to cover her classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if there are other forums where ex-coworkers of her have replied but I remember hearing that she constantly showed up late to Gaithersburg HS and other teachers had to cover her classes.

The SMOB didn't show up much this year. Is she MAGA too?

Grace Rivera-Oven dropped in when she felt like it before she was president.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Brenda is that you can't really trust that she's not just saying what she thinks she needs to say to get elected and will then do a hard-right pivot once she's on the board.

You're right that many of statements and criticisms of MCPS are reasonable and sound. The problem is whether she's genuine in actually wanting to solve problems or is it her goal to just stir up trouble and get a seat on the board to make it more conservative.

+1
She clearly has a partisan right-wing agenda. I may agree with some things she says but I think she will do more harm than good. Maybe I am being naive or too optimistic but I don't think she will be able to further her right wing agenda much as a BOE member, but I think she will be a harmful distraction and will serve as a straw man for TT.

+2

[Anonymous]

OP here, this is convincing to me, thank you. Definitely changes my view.

Anonymous wrote:Below are Brenda Diaz's own words from her substack:

Currently, leftist ideologies are deeply embedded within our school system, limiting freedom of thought and expression. BLM and LGBTQ+ flags adorn classrooms and hallways. Critical race theory is at the center of Social Studies education, from elementary to high school. These ideas are presented as the only course of righteous action for the rising political activists our schools aim to create. We risk entrenching our children in unnecessary future turmoil when we frame the trends of our time as the only just causes. When “all the things” that are good can only come from the Left, what happens to anyone who believes differently? Where do those children and their families fit in our schools and our communities?

https://brilliantresilience.substack.com/p/protecting-our-childrens-innocence

I don't agree with the above and won't be voting for her. She sounds extremely partisan and is essentially defending the "right" to hate others without repurcussions.

Here is some reporting on her opposition to vaccine mandates. You can disagree with the mandates (I don't think they were a good idea) and also disagree with her equating them with Jim Crow, which I find deeply disrespectful.

Diaz said in the testimony that a resolution to create vaccine requirements to enter establishments such as bars and recreation centers would “impose the unlawful and immoral segregation” between vaccinated and unvaccinated residents.

“It is, indeed, the modern-day Jim Crow. As such, the harm that this measure will cause to our county if you choose as a body to act beyond your bounds is immeasurable,” Diaz’s testimony said. “You will divide families and communities by pitting the vaccinated and the unvaccinated against each other.”

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/10/22/brenda-diaz-left-mcps/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Brenda is that you can't really trust that she's not just saying what she thinks she needs to say to get elected and will then do a hard-right pivot once she's on the board.

You're right that many of statements and criticisms of MCPS are reasonable and sound. The problem is whether she's genuine in actually wanting to solve problems or is it her goal to just stir up trouble and get a seat on the board to make it more conservative.

+1
She clearly has a partisan right-wing agenda. I may agree with some things she says but I think she will do more harm than good. Maybe I am being naive or too optimistic but I don't think she will be able to further her right wing agenda much as a BOE member, but I think she will be a harmful distraction and will serve as a straw man for TT.

+2

Better to elect Grace Rivera-Oven who is violating Maryland law by signing contracts without Board approval. Illegal is always better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Brenda is that you can't really trust that she's not just saying what she thinks she needs to say to get elected and will then do a hard-right pivot once she's on the board.

You're right that many of statements and criticisms of MCPS are reasonable and sound. The problem is whether she's genuine in actually wanting to solve problems or is it her goal to just stir up trouble and get a seat on the board to make it more conservative.

+1
She clearly has a partisan right-wing agenda. I may agree with some things she says but I think she will do more harm than good. Maybe I am being naive or too optimistic but I don't think she will be able to further her right wing agenda much as a BOE member, but I think she will be a harmful distraction and will serve as a straw man for TT.

I agree with this assessment. She is too right wing to bring any of her ideas to fruition in Moco and will only further divide the board, leading to more inaction than already occurs.

So you are saying that the board will be most effective if all board members think the same.

Not at all. But board members can't be an island since you need at least 5 votes to get anything done. So she will be unsuccessful if she is unable to build a coalition and consensus around her viewpoints and ideas.

We've seen that play out with current BOE member Rita Montoya. And interestingly, Montoya is the only BOE member I could see collaborating with Diaz at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are missing what she said and did during the pandemic and during her previous run for school board. She learned that she cannot win running on a Moms for Liberty platform so she stopped saying those things. But most people remember.

Yep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Brenda is that you can't really trust that she's not just saying what she thinks she needs to say to get elected and will then do a hard-right pivot once she's on the board.

You're right that many of statements and criticisms of MCPS are reasonable and sound. The problem is whether she's genuine in actually wanting to solve problems or is it her goal to just stir up trouble and get a seat on the board to make it more conservative.

+1
She clearly has a partisan right-wing agenda. I may agree with some things she says but I think she will do more harm than good. Maybe I am being naive or too optimistic but I don't think she will be able to further her right wing agenda much as a BOE member, but I think she will be a harmful distraction and will serve as a straw man for TT.

I agree with this assessment. She is too right wing to bring any of her ideas to fruition in Moco and will only further divide the board, leading to more inaction than already occurs.

So you are saying that the board will be most effective if all board members think the same.

Not at all. But board members can't be an island since you need at least 5 votes to get anything done. So she will be unsuccessful if she is unable to build a coalition and consensus around her viewpoints and ideas.

We've seen that play out with current BOE member Rita Montoya. And interestingly, Montoya is the only BOE member I could see collaborating with Diaz at all.

We already have a rubber stamp BOE. I'm good if Brenda can at least probe and raise issues before the BOE continues to rubber stamp.

Notice that not much will change since only 2 real seats are up for election. So we're still stuck with this current BOE. But I'm willing to set up the BOE with a renegade so that maybe there is a chance in another 2 years that the BOE could stop being a rubber stamp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Brenda is that you can't really trust that she's not just saying what she thinks she needs to say to get elected and will then do a hard-right pivot once she's on the board.

You're right that many of statements and criticisms of MCPS are reasonable and sound. The problem is whether she's genuine in actually wanting to solve problems or is it her goal to just stir up trouble and get a seat on the board to make it more conservative.

+1
She clearly has a partisan right-wing agenda. I may agree with some things she says but I think she will do more harm than good. Maybe I am being naive or too optimistic but I don't think she will be able to further her right wing agenda much as a BOE member, but I think she will be a harmful distraction and will serve as a straw man for TT.

+2

Better to elect Grace Rivera-Oven who is violating Maryland law by signing contracts without Board approval. Illegal is always better.

If you didn't want Grace reelected, you should have focused on recruiting literally any candidate to run against her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have seen lots of online commentary on her being crazy and MAGA during the pandemic. I did not have kids in schools then so don't know all the background. But her responses on the various candidate questionnaires I have seen for this election all seem reasonable, relatively measured, and most importantly (to me) much more specific on actual changes that would increase the rigor and accountability of MCPS. She also cites evidence more than the other candidates. I disagree with her on Mahmoud vs. Taylor but even her responses on that topic don't seem particularly extreme.

I really don't like the idea of voting for a MAGA candidate but also feel like ultimately I should be voting based on the candidates' stated views, and hers seem pretty good and at least very clear whereas all the other candidates seem to respond entirely in vague platitudes, which makes me think they'll just roll with whatever the superintendent and MCEA want rather than providing actual oversight and differing views. What am I missing?

She has toned down her rhetoric since her last run for the BOE. You should know that she was fired from MCPS for refusing to adhere to vaccination requirements for CoVid. She refused to wear a mask. And rather than do these things, she simply did not show up to teach, leaving administrators scrambling to cover her classes.

If you think this behavior is well-reasoned, by all means, vote for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Brenda is that you can't really trust that she's not just saying what she thinks she needs to say to get elected and will then do a hard-right pivot once she's on the board.

You're right that many of statements and criticisms of MCPS are reasonable and sound. The problem is whether she's genuine in actually wanting to solve problems or is it her goal to just stir up trouble and get a seat on the board to make it more conservative.

+1
She clearly has a partisan right-wing agenda. I may agree with some things she says but I think she will do more harm than good. Maybe I am being naive or too optimistic but I don't think she will be able to further her right wing agenda much as a BOE member, but I think she will be a harmful distraction and will serve as a straw man for TT.

I agree with this assessment. She is too right wing to bring any of her ideas to fruition in Moco and will only further divide the board, leading to more inaction than already occurs.

So you are saying that the board will be most effective if all board members think the same.

Not at all. But board members can't be an island since you need at least 5 votes to get anything done. So she will be unsuccessful if she is unable to build a coalition and consensus around her viewpoints and ideas.

We've seen that play out with current BOE member Rita Montoya. And interestingly, Montoya is the only BOE member I could see collaborating with Diaz at all.

We already have a rubber stamp BOE. I'm good if Brenda can at least probe and raise issues before the BOE continues to rubber stamp.

Notice that not much will change since only 2 real seats are up for election. So we're still stuck with this current BOE. But I'm willing to set up the BOE with a renegade so that maybe there is a chance in another 2 years that the BOE could stop being a rubber stamp.

Part of me wants to see Diaz and Taylor go at each other, but we already have enough problems with the BOE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if there are other forums where ex-coworkers of her have replied but I remember hearing that she constantly showed up late to Gaithersburg HS and other teachers had to cover her classes.

The SMOB didn't show up much this year. Is she MAGA too?

Grace Rivera-Oven dropped in when she felt like it before she was president.

The SMOB this year was disappointing in a number of ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have seen lots of online commentary on her being crazy and MAGA during the pandemic. I did not have kids in schools then so don't know all the background. But her responses on the various candidate questionnaires I have seen for this election all seem reasonable, relatively measured, and most importantly (to me) much more specific on actual changes that would increase the rigor and accountability of MCPS. She also cites evidence more than the other candidates. I disagree with her on Mahmoud vs. Taylor but even her responses on that topic don't seem particularly extreme.

I really don't like the idea of voting for a MAGA candidate but also feel like ultimately I should be voting based on the candidates' stated views, and hers seem pretty good and at least very clear whereas all the other candidates seem to respond entirely in vague platitudes, which makes me think they'll just roll with whatever the superintendent and MCEA want rather than providing actual oversight and differing views. What am I missing?

She has toned down her rhetoric since her last run for the BOE. You should know that she was fired from MCPS for refusing to adhere to vaccination requirements for CoVid. She refused to wear a mask. And rather than do these things, she simply did not show up to teach, leaving administrators scrambling to cover her classes.

If you think this behavior is well-reasoned, by all means, vote for her.

What I'm hearing is that, if COVID happened again, she'd keep schools open. Sounds like the best candidate for the job by far.

[Anonymous]

We need BOE candidates who are extremely progressive.

We also want taxes to be as high as possible.

Anyone not meeting these qualifications should not be elected

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if there are other forums where ex-coworkers of her have replied but I remember hearing that she constantly showed up late to Gaithersburg HS and other teachers had to cover her classes.

The SMOB didn't show up much this year. Is she MAGA too?

Grace Rivera-Oven dropped in when she felt like it before she was president.

The SMOB this year was disappointing in a number of ways.

Not nearly as good as the past couple of years. I think the main thing learned was that when you are a lame duck you get asked to be the one to motion for anything they want that might have a modicum of controversy so that those who would be running for something don't have to be the ones saying the words.