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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
BOE - who are people voting for?
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Anonymous
One of the frequent posters here complains about Silvestre having a conflict of interest because of Montgomery College. Zimmerman has a *huge* conflict of interest, even acknowledging that she plans to represent teachers on the Board. It's too bad that Diaz is such a wacko, but I'll still be voting for her. |
Anonymous
If Zimmerman wins, she'll resign her teacher position. It's not a conflict of interest for former teachers to be on the board. |
Anonymous
Perhaps not strictly a conflict of interest, but certainly an ethical issue. Think about government employees at FDA going to work for drug companies and then lobbying the FDA. This is a horrible idea. She said she wants to represent teachers. The right place to do that is MCEA, not on the BoE. |
Anonymous
But given that the BOE is only a part-time position, how will she replace her full-time teacher income? |
Anonymous
| Is that even true? I don't see any clear statements that she intends to quit teaching. |
Anonymous
Government employees going to work for private companies happens all the time. It’s in fact why folks have proposed lobby laws specifically to address this. Zimmerman being a teacher and then going to BOE which is a publicly elected position is not a conflict of interest. It just means she has experience to understand how some policies and decisions will play out or need to be spelled out to be effective. |
Anonymous
Nope, it's not unethical either. There have been many former MCPS staff members on the board, including Harris and Yang currently. |
Anonymous
And those were bad ideas, too. I guess its good that Zimmerman is acknowledging her intent to represent teachers, but I don't know how anyone could view that as appropriate for the position. |
Anonymous
It's a state law that she would need to resign before being sworn in. |
Anonymous
She intends to use the position to benefit herself and her current coworkers. She's quite clear about that. How is that not unethical and a conflict of interest? |
Anonymous
You are misrepresenting her goals for the BOE, which are: -Increase Transparency -Focus on Data-Driven Practices -Support Diversity and Inclusivity Across MCPS https://www.zimmermanforboe.com/goals-for-the-board |
Anonymous
Zimmerman would not have been my first choice, but not for this reason. If one believes (as I do) that the single largest issue in MCPS is the bloated and ineffectual Central Office staff who impose trendy short-term "solutions" like detracking without regard to the impact on teachers/students, then having someone on the board who can push back and ask questions is good actually. Teachers are not the enemy. They want students to succeed, just like parents. Most are also parents, to be honest. |
Anonymous
https://www.zimmermanforboe.com/about-natalie "Teachers deserve a voice on the Board of Education and Natalie plans to be that voice." Teachers provide input to the BoE through MCEA, not by putting one on the Board. |
Anonymous
No, teachers are certainly not the enemy, but their interests don't align with what is best for students. |
Anonymous
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Diaz is also a former teacher in MCPS, and one of her listed priorities is improving teacher morale, so you have your choice of two teachers, both of whom want things to be better for teachers.
However, Diaz resigned from MCPS and complained to the board that wearing a mask violated her freedom of religion. |