| Searched online but kept getting old results. |
| What is the apple ballot? |
It's a fake paper ballot with apples next to names showing that's who the teacher's union and the current board of education want you to vote for. In other words, just vote for all the incumbents! |
It's not a fake paper ballot, it's not the current BoE endorsement, and it's not all incumbents. So basically the only true things in your post are "and" and "the". |
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It's on this website:
https://mceanea.org/ https://mceanea.org/news/mcea-is-proud-to-endorse-sunil-dasgupta-for-the-open-at-large-board-of-education-seat/ BoE: Sunil Dasgupta Congress District 3: John Sarbanes District 6: David Trone District 8: Jamie Raskin |
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The Apple Ballot is who the teachers union endorses. I used to vote blind Apple Ballot. I started to pay more attention and I won’t blindly do it again.
All candidates voter guide: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2020-primary-voters-guide/ |
| NP. With everything going on I’ve procrastinated on researching the candidates and there are a ton! Is there a subset of front-runners I should focus on? |
Op here. Thanks for the links,everyone! I see I needed to fill out my info. Also thanks for this voter guide! |
| Also the League of Women Voters guide https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/lwvmc/pages/659/attachments/original/1588901614/2020_Primary_Expanded_VG_English__webRev2.pdf?1588901614 |
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Front runners For BOE at large based on money raised and what I see in articles and media are: Stephen Austin, Jay Guan, and Sunil Dasgupta.
Austin has pushed back on the change in the Board’s redistricting policy. He has asked a lot of questions as many people allege that the redistricting analysis has not been transparent. He’s looked at the data and it does not seem like in MCPS high FARMS rate kids do better in lower poverty schools and he wants to do a system audit and get resources to where they are needed most. He’s a parent and finance guy. He has a grassroots campaign. He elevates the public voice. He’s a parent of students in the system. Dasgupta is a Professor of political science and maybe the department director at Universities of Shady Grove. He’s participated in trauma informed practices. He promotes regular boundary changes as a central part to closing achievement gaps and proposes an independent binding commission. He wants to stop taking capital funds and with the interest from not taking that debt put it into operations. He has kids in MCPS and part of County Council OT PTAs. Guan: I don’t know much about him other than he is for STEM and career ready education. He will push back on boundary changes. He has some experience with volunteering within the school system and groups for improving education. He’s a parent. Harris: Lynn for Students is her motto. She listens very closely to students. She stood beside students advocating that MCPS is de facto segregated. She lead the Montgomery Council of PTAs as President. She’s a teacher and also a nurse and lawyer by training. She wants the county to utilize the public transportation more to get students to schools throughout the county. There are 9 other candidates too! For District 4 there are 3 candidates listed but Reynolds is no longer going for the seat. The apple ballot did not endorse a candidate in this race. Solomon — Usually picked by Austin supporters and in line with Guan Evans — incumbent usually picked by Dasgupta or Harris supporters. |
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Stephen Austin:
Political or education advocacy experience (public elected offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years; can include PTA or similar experience; do not include political party positions): None https://bethesdamagazine.com/2020-primary-voters-guide/montgomery-county-board-of-education-at-large/ |
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Steve Solomon:
Do you have children who attend or have attended Montgomery County Public Schools? Which schools and when? No Political or education advocacy experience (public elected offices held and when, as well as unsuccessful campaigns for office and which years; can include PTA or similar experience; do not include political party positions): 2018 candidate for Montgomery County Council https://bethesdamagazine.com/2020-primary-voters-guide/montgomery-county-board-of-education-district-4/ |
| #runforsomething |
I already voted for him. He doesn’t have to have kids in school to care about where his tax dollars are going. Many on the school board don’t have kids in school right now too. |
Those of us who do have kids in school, think of MCPS as a school system, not a place where tax dollars go. |