BOE Candidates for 2026 election

[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.

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

What mess? The others bailed for greener pastures --Evans now in the running for County council, Yang also trying for County council. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Isn't the home school model about having kids with IEP get services at their local school rather than be placed elsewhere?

[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.

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

What mess? The others bailed for greener pastures --Evans now in the running for County council, Yang also trying for County council. Etc.

Have you not paid attention to all the issues within the past 5 years. Yang will be even worse on the county council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Isn't the home school model about having kids with IEP get services at their local school rather than be placed elsewhere?

Two different things.

This is where the kids cannot lottery into another school, like the DCC and NEC offer, so kids only option is their home school, many of which have very limited offerings.

[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.

I agree.

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

Its 100% that - they are looking out for money/teachers which is their job but they are failing to look at the work conditions/unhealthy work environments and failed to act on it. Teachers and staff should not be working in mold infested buildings without more security given the issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Her comments are meaningless as that is just the surface.

[Anonymous]

Someone's finally running in District 5: Elma-Lorraine Diggs. Anyone know of her?

[Anonymous]

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.

Hell no to one Republican endorsed Moms4liberty garbage.
Banning books in MCPS is not a good look. Racist, KKK = all Republicans at this point in time. Keep that crap off the BOE.

Last time we had Mandel and Diaz and Ricki Mui none of which were qualified to do anything. Especially being around children horrifyingly bad candidates. Oh and let us not forget Esther Wells she's a dozy...

[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.

Hell no to one Republican endorsed Moms4liberty garbage.
Banning books in MCPS is not a good look. Racist, KKK = all Republicans at this point in time. Keep that crap off the BOE.

Last time we had Mandel and Diaz and Ricki Mui none of which were qualified to do anything. Especially being around children horrifyingly bad candidates. Oh and let us not forget Esther Wells she's a dozy...

They all still hang around several platforms complaining how they lost and could do better but are tone death as to why most of us would not vote for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone's finally running in District 5: Elma-Lorraine Diggs. Anyone know of her?

I cannot see her full profile but she looks promising.

[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.

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

What mess? The others bailed for greener pastures --Evans now in the running for County council, Yang also trying for County council. Etc.

Have you not paid attention to all the issues within the past 5 years. Yang will be even worse on the county council.

But he fully supports division, equity, and inclusion in MoCo. He has my vote

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone's finally running in District 5: Elma-Lorraine Diggs. Anyone know of her?

Her website is up now:

https://www.eld4boe.com/meet-elma

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone's finally running in District 5: Elma-Lorraine Diggs. Anyone know of her?

Her website is up now:

https://www.eld4boe.com/meet-elma

I don't know her, but I hope this is the first of many DOGE'd feds getting involved in elected office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone's finally running in District 5: Elma-Lorraine Diggs. Anyone know of her?

Her website is up now:

https://www.eld4boe.com/meet-elma

It's nice to see new people stepping up. Bring in enough decent people who care about our kids and maybe we can finally see some change.

[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.

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

What mess? The others bailed for greener pastures --Evans now in the running for County council, Yang also trying for County council. Etc.

Evans was defeated, she didn't bail.