Karla Silvestre joins Julie Yang in jumping ship from the BOE in favor of County Council

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

There are a growing number of full-time school boards. Los Angeles has a full-time school board and Atlanta is considering making its board full-time as well. Neighboring Fairfax County just increased compensation for its board because it recognized the low pay and part-time status was an equity barrier.

It makes sense to pay them appropriately. McPS has how many billions of dollars in its budget and we’re paying the people to oversee it peanuts? Also very few parents of school aged kids will ever want to get a Board seat if they’re also working full time, and it’s good to have parents who have fingers on the pulse of what McPS is doing.

The workload of a Board appt is too much for that.

Not really, they just show up for meetings and PR. Silvestre works for MC and is double dipping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

It could pay for school repairs, school supplies and books or bring back the MVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

It could pay for school repairs, school supplies and books or bring back the MVA.

Y'all are still going for the MVA, eh?

But if they could cut a coouple uncessary positions to pay for COPY PAPER then that would be worthwhile to me. It's riciulous that paper is such a limited resource. Parents complain about screens but when there is no paper to make handouts I don't know what choice teachers have.

[Anonymous]

Silvestre was a member of the BOE that hired Monifa McKnight. She was the BOE president during the Beidleman scandal. How does anyone get elected after that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

is there an actual analysis of this (ideally one that would look beyond Maryland to other parts of the country that are known for having strong education systems like Massachusetts)?

[Anonymous]

This is great news. Frees up spots that new candidates can take with fresh ideas. Look at the success of newcomers like Laura Stewart so far for a preview of what's possible once the old timers step down!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

It's not bloated compared to other school districts, plus you have to consider the size of the population served. A friend who used to work in central was doing what amounted to the work of three people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is great news. Frees up spots that new candidates can take with fresh ideas. Look at the success of newcomers like Laura Stewart so far for a preview of what's possible once the old timers step down!

What “success,” praytell, has Laura Stewart had???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

is there an actual analysis of this (ideally one that would look beyond Maryland to other parts of the country that are known for having strong education systems like Massachusetts)?

+1 It would be good if someone actually looked into this, and not just anecdotes like "my friend in the central office is working really hard, and therefore it's very efficient."

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

I actually don’t think the size of CO staff is the biggest issue. It’s incompetence and ineffectiveness.

This is allowed because many people occupy positions in Central Office are former teachers or principals who are not equipped or suited for the roles they’re serving in. But they’re in those positions due to ridiculous and toxic MCPS politics which “reward” loyalists with cushy CO gigs that enable them to not have to work in schools anymore and have more flexibility, such as the option to work remotely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/16/silvestre-election-county-council/

Montgomery County school board member Karla Silvestre announced Tuesday she is running for one of the County Council at-large seats in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a Tuesday press release. “However, our county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve.”

Silvestre, a Silver Spring resident and Democrat, was elected to the school board in 2018 as an at-large member and was re-elected in 2022. She served as county president for two years and is chair of the school board’s Fiscal Management Committee. She also works at Montgomery College as the director of Community Engagement and previously worked for the county government as a community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, according to her announcement.

Silvestre is the second school board member to announce her campaign for County Council. School board President Julie Yang announced in July she was seeking the District 1 seat held by Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1). Friedson is running for county executive to replace Marc Elrich (D), who cannot run again due to term limits.

Looks like no one enjoys or values serving on the MCPS Board of Education. I wonder why?

No. They served their time, now they're on to something else. It's hard to give your all to a cause for more than a few years, PP. You're not as effective or enthusastic anymore. That's human nature, and not a reflection on the BOE.

DP. Not to mention:

BOE member salary $25K
Council member salary $167K

It is an incredibly poor policy decision to expect a Board member to do a high profile full-time job of oversight of one of the largest school districts in the country and pay them less than what you could make working part time at a fast food joint.

That's how all small board/city elected officials are paid, if they are paid at all.

Those don't have nearly the time commitments expected as a MCPS board member.

And personally, I think that's the problem. The school board needs to play a role closer to that of a corporate board of directors. Most policies should be written by career staff, and most oversight should be done by an independent inspector general that reports to the school board.

I agree. It would be good if "fit and proper" criteria were applied to MCPS Board members--I would love to get a Board member with finance and operational expertise who could dig into the MCPS budget and explain to us all why we spend billions, and yet our kids are in overcrowded classrooms. But for $25k a year, and potential reputational risk from the DCUM crowd who love to bash everything and everyone, it's not worth it.

I don't understand the confusion over the budget. We're a very large district in a very expensive part of the country. Per pupil costs are consistent with other parts of the country with similar cost of living.

No one doubts that we're in a high cost part of the country. But I wonder if our central office is bloated relative to other school districts, and if those staff could be more usefully deployed, ya know, actually teaching children.

Last I looked, it was not, at least compared to other MD school districts. I am sure there are places they can cut but those would likely be small savings, not big ones.

It could pay for school repairs, school supplies and books or bring back the MVA.

Y'all are still going for the MVA, eh?

But if they could cut a coouple uncessary positions to pay for COPY PAPER then that would be worthwhile to me. It's riciulous that paper is such a limited resource. Parents complain about screens but when there is no paper to make handouts I don't know what choice teachers have.

Paper isn't limited and costs nothing IF the item is sent to copy plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is great news. Frees up spots that new candidates can take with fresh ideas. Look at the success of newcomers like Laura Stewart so far for a preview of what's possible once the old timers step down!

What “success,” praytell, has Laura Stewart had???

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