Air Force Veteran, Odenton Mom Sarah McDermott Vying For School Board

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Patch invited every candidate running for the Anne Arundel County Board of Education to complete a questionnaire on their campaign priorities. We are posting stories with their unedited, verbatim responses.

Get to know District 4 candidate Sarah J. McDermott below.

Voters can check what district they live in at this link. Early voting runs from Oct. 24 through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 5. More information on voting locations, registration, mail-in ballots and dropbox ballots is posted here.

Name: Sarah J. McDermott (Newcomer)

District: 4

Hometown: Odenton, MD

Age On General Election Day: 35

Profession: State Employee

Campaign Website: www.sarahforaacps.com

Campaign Facebook: www.facebook.com/sarahmcdforboe

1. What are your three biggest policy priorities?

My three biggest policy priorities are 1) continue to make great strides towards the fair compensation of educators and staff, 2) encourage the further development of Career and Technical Education opportunities for students through stakeholder engagement, and 3) ensure the proper allocation of resources for our community schools.

2. What is the biggest educational issue in Anne Arundel County?

The biggest educational issue in Anne Arundel County is continuing to focus on recruiting and retention of skilled employees across all categories.

3. What is the biggest educational issue in your district specifically?

One of the biggest obstacles in our schools is absenteeism. When a student is not in school or enrolled in a virtual learning program approved by the school system, they are not learning the curriculum that is necessary for them to find academic success.

4. How will you address the teacher shortage?

The recruiting and retention of educators and service providers is not only the most important issue facing our school board- it is a national crisis affecting school systems throughout the United States. Our veteran educators are exhausted and have been overextending themselves for too long, and many of our newest teachers are electing to leave the classroom and move on to careers that pay more and provide a better life-work balance. If elected, I will continue to ensure constant evaluations of Anne Arundel County’s competitiveness with surrounding counties and push for higher salaries for our educators and staff.

5. How will you approach balancing the budget?

I will prioritize the areas I've mentioned above, while maintaining a collaborative relationship with my colleagues, as we advocate for the priorities AACPS needs to deliver the best results for students, teachers, staff members, and their families.

6. How will the end of pandemic-era funding affect your budgetary decisions?

Pandemic-era funding made immediate budgeting simpler, but the Board now needs to take into account the lasting effects of its procurement and budgetary decisions. We cannot say "yes" to an item without taking into consideration key points like the cost of an out-year maintenance contract or the trade offs necessary to facilitate the purchase.

7. How will you approach school redistricting? If your district is part of this redistricting, what are some of your priorities?

I support efforts to redistrict schools. We cannot allow schools to be overutilized- it isn’t fair to teachers, staff, students, or families. While the initial efforts may seem logistically challenging, I believe they will pay off in the long run for under resourced areas.

8. If you are an incumbent, why do you deserve another term? If you are a challenger, why are you the best candidate?

As a mother to two children who attend schools within the Arundel cluster, I am deeply committed to the academic success and personal growth of our students. As a public servant with experience in program implementation, budget management, legislative coordination, personnel management, and constituent services, I will bring a unique perspective to the Board that emphasizes oversight and accountability.

9. How will you handle LGBTQ+ and racial issues brought before the school board?

When LGBTQ+ and racial issues are brought before the Board, I will always come back to the sentiment that it is the foremost duty of a Board of Education member to contribute to policies and decisions that provide a top-notch public education and create a learning environment that allows all students to thrive, regardless of background or identity. This non-negotiable commitment to the success of all students leads to developing global citizens who will carry a sentiment of goodwill and inclusion into society.

10. How will you handle book-banning issues brought before the school board?

I support the inclusion of books that reference different gender identities or same-sex relationships. I will vote against book bans and the editing of curriculum based on personal beliefs. No topic should be banned from curriculum or libraries, provided that they are age appropriate- and I really trust our librarians and educators to determine that for their students. When we don’t provide opportunities for our children to learn about people who are different from them, they become adults who find it challenging to accept diversity in others.

11. Please tell us about yourself.

I am an Air Force veteran, a State Employee, the wife of a Marine Corps veteran, and the mother of two children who attend AACPS schools. We have lived in the Two Rivers community of Odenton since 2020. Prior to that, we lived on Fort Meade for almost a decade. I chose to run for the School Board because I believe that polices that create real equity don't happen by accident- it takes people who want to show up every time, work hard, and ask tough questions.

12. Is there anything else we should know?

I am wholly committed to ensuring resources are readily available for all students, educators, staff, and their families to seize the opportunity to grow.