Almost all the Baltimore County public school board seats, some of which are appointed while others are elected, will turn over this fall. Four out of the seven seats that are up for election are contested races. The outcome of the election will determine whether the board itself becomes more politically conservative. Last year, a consultant described the 12-member board as dysfunctional.
WYPR Baltimore County reporter John Lee joined Nathan Sterner to talk about the school board races, which included reporting from The Baltimore Banner’s Kristen Griffith.
Sterner:
Why is there going to be such a turnover on the board?
Lee:
Nathan, There are 11 members who serve four year terms and all of those terms are expiring. Four of those positions are appointed by the governor, the other seven are elected in the same districts as the county council seats. The 12th member is a student who serves a one year term.
Only two of those elected board members are standing for reelection and both are running unopposed. There are four contested races for school board seats.
Sterner:
How are those races stacking up politically?
Lee:
School board candidates, technically, are non-partisan. But my colleague at the Baltimore Banner, Kristen Griffith has done some reporting that shows that several of these races reflect the partisan divide nationally over what can be taught in the classroom.
Griffith:
The more conservative candidates oppose teaching about LGBTQ and other issues in the classroom and think parents should have a greater say about what’s taught. The more progressive candidates support classroom discussions about race and gender. The more conservative candidates also oppose mask requirements, though most districts are no longer requiring them since vaccinations have made COVID-19 less of a threat.
Lee:
For example, let’s look at the race for the second district which goes from Charles Street in West Towson, west to Pikesville and Reisterstown. It’s a Democratic-leaning district. In that school board race, Jane Lichter, who is a retired county schools educator, has the endorsement of the teachers union and County Executive Johnny Olszewski, who is a Democrat. Her opponent is Rebecca Chesner, a retired city schools psychologist, who is endorsed by The Republican Women of Baltimore County and the conservative-leaning Children 1st PAC.
Kristen Griffith at the Banner adds this race is a good example of the political divide in school board contests in the county.
Griffith:
Rebecca Chesner says teaching about gender identity and sexuality is inappropriate. She refers to the topics as “premature sexualization,” and says parents who think such topics are best handled at home should be respected. On the other hand, Jane Lichter says she would uphold board policies that reflect a commitment to educational equity and provide students with materials that reflect the diversity of students and staff.
Chesner does not support allowing pride flags, or any flags that she says symbolize special interest groups, in the schools. She says only the American flag should be displayed. Lichter disagrees. And Chesner says the pandemic lockdowns and mandates were an injustice to students. Lichter says she would rely on the advice of medical professionals when making decisions on masks.
Lee:
Griffith found similar differences among school board candidates running in the county’s first and third districts.
Sterner:
When will the four appointed seats on the county school board be filled?
Lee:
Early next year and by the next governor, so the outcome of that race between Democrat Wes Moore and Republican Dan Cox also will help determine what direction the school board takes.
This current county school board is the first that is a hybrid of elected and appointed positions. That was put in place four years ago. It has been a clearly divided board. One faction is supportive of the school administration while the other is often at odds with it. They have a history of bickering with each other. So we will see if that changes when an almost new board takes over.
Sterner:
That’s WYPR’s Baltimore County reporter John Lee along with Kristen Griffith from The Baltimore Banner. You can read more on this story here.
