BOE Candidates for 2026 election

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grace Rivera-Oven filed for reelection today in district 1 and Sally McCarthy filed in district 3.

Sally McCarthy? That's the best news I've heard. She's amazing!

Who is she?

https://www.sallymccarthy.org/

NP

Would you elaborate on what specifically you find amazing about her? I checked out the website and it seems to be the same type of general platitudes that every candidate spouts during an election. Has she addressed the following issues which I’m focused on?

1. Safety/Discipline - some practical proposals for dealing more effectively with classroom outbursts and high school students skipping class than evacuating the classrooms in the former and locking bathrooms in the latter.

2. Academics - an effective curriculum, a more informative and accurate grading system, flexible ability grouping, expand access to special programs (magnets, etc.) without weakening them, reconsider distance learning options, etc.

[Anonymous]

I would support whoever is in favor of ending the CES and middle school magnets and providing the same enrichment program for advanced students at all schools. I’m tired of my kids and other kids getting shut out of programs because of artificial scarcity and lotteries. Is there a candidate like that? Someone who wants things to be fair?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would support whoever is in favor of ending the CES and middle school magnets and providing the same enrichment program for advanced students at all schools. I’m tired of my kids and other kids getting shut out of programs because of artificial scarcity and lotteries. Is there a candidate like that? Someone who wants things to be fair?

So I take it you're happy with the proposed high school regional program model that's been proposed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

Exactly, Grace got us into this mess and does nothing to fix things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would support whoever is in favor of ending the CES and middle school magnets and providing the same enrichment program for advanced students at all schools. I’m tired of my kids and other kids getting shut out of programs because of artificial scarcity and lotteries. Is there a candidate like that? Someone who wants things to be fair?

You constantly post supporting the home school model but that will never be fair, as the schools that don't have it now, aren't going to get it due to staffing and principal decisions. You don't seem to get its NOT going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would support whoever is in favor of ending the CES and middle school magnets and providing the same enrichment program for advanced students at all schools. I’m tired of my kids and other kids getting shut out of programs because of artificial scarcity and lotteries. Is there a candidate like that? Someone who wants things to be fair?

This is a weird take. Why would getting rid of CES and the middle school magnets lead to more enrichment for advanced students at their home schools? The lack of enrichment and challenge for advanced students isn't because of the CESes and magnets, it's because MCPS doesn't see serving advanced students as important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

A lot of their endorsements are crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

A lot of their endorsements are crazy.

They had announced their timeline would be earlier this year, so any candidate seeking their endorsement couldn't wait til the last minute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

A lot of their endorsements are crazy.

They had announced their timeline would be earlier this year, so any candidate seeking their endorsement couldn't wait til the last minute.

Given they are supporting Jawando, who is one of the leaders of the oversight for MCPS, and he's done nothing and what he has done has been bad and wasteful, no way I'd listen to them. And supporting Yang... she's been the oversight for MCPS for years and ran it into the ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

A lot of their endorsements are crazy.

They had announced their timeline would be earlier this year, so any candidate seeking their endorsement couldn't wait til the last minute.

Given they are supporting Jawando, who is one of the leaders of the oversight for MCPS, and he's done nothing and what he has done has been bad and wasteful, no way I'd listen to them. And supporting Yang... she's been the oversight for MCPS for years and ran it into the ground.

I agree.

Unfortunately, I suspect MCEA is backing him purely because he supported teacher raises and MCPS budget increases loudly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

A lot of their endorsements are crazy.

They had announced their timeline would be earlier this year, so any candidate seeking their endorsement couldn't wait til the last minute.

Given they are supporting Jawando, who is one of the leaders of the oversight for MCPS, and he's done nothing and what he has done has been bad and wasteful, no way I'd listen to them. And supporting Yang... she's been the oversight for MCPS for years and ran it into the ground.

Actually Yang only became board president a year ago (and no longer is as of last week).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apple Ballot's initial BOE endorsements are out:

Board of Education District 1 – Grace Rivera Oven

Board of Education District 3 – Sally McCarthy

Board of Education At-Large – Omar Lazo

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/12/05/apple-ballot-announced-for-county-school-board-races/

Does Grace even have anyone running against her? The biggest surprise to me is that MCEA is backing an incumbent, since they wiped the slate clean last time.

No, not yet anyway.

So it seems crazy for MCEA to endorse Grace when other people who might be better could still enter the race.

A lot of their endorsements are crazy.

They had announced their timeline would be earlier this year, so any candidate seeking their endorsement couldn't wait til the last minute.

Given they are supporting Jawando, who is one of the leaders of the oversight for MCPS, and he's done nothing and what he has done has been bad and wasteful, no way I'd listen to them. And supporting Yang... she's been the oversight for MCPS for years and ran it into the ground.

Actually Yang only became board president a year ago (and no longer is as of last week).

Yup, and the past year has been bad. They promised transparency and other things and they are more secretive than ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will vote against every incumbent running for any office provided there is a non MAGA non transphobic alternative. If there is not, I won't vote.

In that scenario, not voting is in effect a vote for the MAGA candidate.

I think things are so broken at this point that it is worth the risk.

If I have to I'd vote for a republican depending on their character and values over an incumbent. I will not vote for any incumbets right now.

+1
I won't vote for someone who is hateful (sorry, Bethany) but I don't think the incumbents are any better, except for Montoya.

Montoya's problem is that she doesn't have near enough power to take on a superintendent, whose power is baked into state rules.

Hate to break it to you, but one person, no matter how amazong, cannot take on the Superintendent and win: you need 5 votes