New Middle School, Small Classes Goals For Board Of Education Hopeful Stephanie Mutchler

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 Stephanie Mutchler 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: stephanie mutchler (newcomer)

District: 4

Hometown: odenton

Age On General Election Day: 49

Profession: professional volunteer

Campaign Website: www.votemutchler.com

Campaign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SM4BOE?mibextid=LQQJ4d

1. What are your three biggest policy priorities?

Policy NOT politics- I want to stop wasting time on things that have no place in educational policy, focus on what needs to be done to ensure educational equity and success.

Accountability NOT absence - I will be available to all in the district, not just the neighborhoods I’m closest to. All communities and schools are equally important and deserve the same support by their BOE representative. I will respond to each email sent, I will frequently visit all schools in the district, and I will bring community concerns to the table.

Empathy not apathy - People are my passion. I want to know what’s going on, and Iwant to fight to make things better and advocate for what’s right. I know how to put myself in other people’s shoes, and that’s what we need. No more people at the table for the love of themselves- I want to be there because of the love of others and not a personal agenda.

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

In order to meet every educational goal, from biggest to smallest, we must have well-trained, professional staffing at all levels. We need to increase the number of teachers and support staff. All schools should be able to provide the services the children need to be successful and that includes having adequate classroom staff to avoid large class sizes, special education staff, counselors, bilingual facilitators, and PPWs.

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

Staffing is the main concern I hear from my district. Parents want smaller class sizes, counselors who have manageable caseloads, appropriate special education staffing so that students receive all the services they need, and mental health supports for all students.

4. How will you address the teacher shortage?

The school system is trending in the right direction with the lowest number of teacher vacancies to start the school year in several years and higher teacher retention rates. We must continue this trend by continuing to raise salaries for new and veteran teachers. We also have to lessen the workload for teachers; they need more time for planning for lessons and less time spent on extra duties and responsibilities. Compensation is important, but workplace conditions are a huge factor in attracting and retaining staff as well.

5. How will you approach balancing the budget?

The school system is only allowed to spend what is allocated by the state and county for its budget, so there are built in safeguards so that the school system cannot overspend without legislative approval. I would work with the superintendent to craft a budget that fits within that funding structure.

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

The vast majority of pandemic –era funding has already come to an end, so this is not a major issue facing the school system. AACPS has already evaluated pandemic-funded programs and made decisions on which were most impactful and should be included in future budgets. I will review those recommendations as well, and vote for budget items that reflect the most impactful and successful initiatives.

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

I have served as a community member on previous redistricting initiatives in my district, and I know how personal and painful these decisions can be for families. The most important aspect of the process is transparency – families must feel they are being heard and their input is being valued. My district has multiple elementary schools and a middle school that are over capacity. My priorities include alleviating the overcrowding by ensuring that all schools are being utilized to the best extent possible while also maintaining neighborhood schools. I also will be advocating for an additional middle school to be built.

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 of five children, I have more than 20 years of active involvement in AACPS under my belt. I have led the parent teacher organization at the elementary, middle, and high school levels nine times over those years, building relationships and trust with hundreds of teachers and dozens of administrators. I am the only candidate for the Board of Education who has had children in every level of the school system, experience that I believe is invaluable in making decisions about the needs for specific grades. I also have a child who has special needs, so I experienced firsthand the challenges of the accessing special education services. This, along with my proven track record of engagement and advocacy for students and staff, give me a perspective on the school system that is unique and needed.

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

AACPS has strong policies in place regarding bias and bullying behaviors. As a Board member I would support the enforcement of those policies and work to strengthen them when needed. Every student of AACPS should feel safe and respected at school, period. I will stand by that in all my decisions.

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

I am against banning books. Knowledge is power, and we should not restrict that on any level. Public school is where various amount of people come to learn and thrive together, and decisions are made to serve the entire school community- not the particular interests or beliefs of specific groups

11. Please tell us about yourself.

As I stated before, I am a mother of 5 with more than 20 years of engagement in the school system. Along with my school involvement, I am currently lead the Gambrills-Odenton Recreation Council (GORC) that serves over 3000 children in many different sports. Volunteering and giving back to the community to make things better for my own children and ALL children is a huge part of who I am.

12. Is there anything else we should know?

I am proud to have received the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense candidate

I am proud to be a PASS approved candidate

I am proud to have earned the endorsements of the three former Board of Education members who now serve in higher elected office: Delegate Andrew Pruski, County Council Chair Allison Pickard, and County Council Vice Chair Julie Hummer. I have also been endorsed by Senator Pam Beidle, Delegate Mark Chang, and Delegate Heather Bagnall