Parental Rights, Test Scores Priorities For Anne Arundel School Board Candidate

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 7 candidate Dawn Pulliam 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: Dawn Pulliam (Newcomer)

District: 7

Hometown: Crofton

Age On General Election Day: 52

Profession: Academia/Sr. Program Manager

Campaign Website: http://dawnpulliam4boe.com

Campaign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawnpulliam4BOE/

1. What are your three biggest policy priorities?

The three major policy priorities are restoring academic excellence, safe and distraction free learning environment, and parental rights.

Academic Excellence: AACPS must restore academic excellence, addressing the fact that two-thirds of students lack proficiency in reading and math. I propose returning to a traditional education model that prioritizes reading, writing, arithmetic, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Teachers need the right tools and learning environment, and parents/caregivers must be key stakeholders in the process.

Distraction Free Learning Environment: For teachers to perform their roles effectively, it is essential to cultivate a safe and distraction-free learning environment. Such an atmosphere is crucial not only for teaching but also for fostering student engagement and academic success. Key components of this environment include the elimination of bullying, minimizing disciplinary issues, buckling down on the vaping/drug policies and continued restriction on recreational cell phone usage.

Parental Rights - Parents and caregivers are essential stakeholders and authorities in the well-being and education of their children. I will advocate for their right to have a voice in educational decisions, ensuring they are informed about what their children are learning and any changes related to their chosen identity. Furthermore, it is crucial that parents have the option to opt out of specific curricula they deem inappropriate for their children, empowering them to make choices that align with their family values.

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

The biggest educational issue at this time is academic outcomes in math (27.6% proficiency) and English (53.9% proficiency).

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

District 7 aligns with the county as a whole. The lack of adequate academic achievement according to Maryland Standards is particularly concerning.

4. How will you address the teacher shortage?

The teacher shortage is a national concern, and it presents particular challenges in Anne Arundel County due to the high cost of living.

I plan to take a comprehensive approach by collaborating with Superintendent Dr. Bedell and the entire board to tackle the various factors affecting the quality of education our children receive. In August 2024, Dr. Bedell acknowledged the teacher shortage but remarked, “It’s not one that is of great concern.”* Our initial focus will be on supporting Dr. Bedell’s top priorities, leveraging his previous experience in Kansas City to help improve the current student-to-teacher ratio of 14:1.

Furthermore, I will work to enhance existing programs such as Teachers Rising, a resident teacher initiative. I will also partner with board members and other counties to identify best practices that AACPS can implement.

*https://www.wbal.com/anne-arundel-county-public-schools-to-begin-school-year-with-teacher-shortage-but-not-one-that-is-of-great-concern/

5. How will you approach balancing the budget?

The budget is balanced at the end of each budget cycle. The question is how the money is originally allocated in the budget and how expenditures are managed throughout the school year. I will work with Dr. Bedell and my Program Management experience, along with the experiences of every member of the school board, to make sure the money is focused on the classroom and educational outcomes. Ensuring that teachers have what they need to fully implement the curriculum. We will work to do this within the current budget constraints without requiring additional tax revenues by the county and state.

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

The pandemic funding is a non-issue for the upcoming budget cycle. The funding has ended and the funds have been spent.

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

My main priority is to make sure that students are able to attend the school that is closest to their home and with their neighborhood friends while balancing school capacity. We also want to make sure that all redistricting committees are made up of parents and community representatives.

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

I was raised in the public school system from K-12 and went on to earn both my undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Maryland. I want every child to receive the quality education I experienced, enabling them to become productive members of our community. Whether a child chooses to pursue a trade, attend college, become a stay-at-home parent, or start their own business, each one deserves access to a high-quality education.

With over 27 years in education across business, government, and academia, I specialize in policy, program management, and developing and managing multi-million dollar budgets. I've collaborated with stakeholders (elected officials, business, and academia) to address complex issues and created STEM and Non-STEM programs addressing critical skill needs. I aim to refocus funding on academic success, ensure safe, distraction-free environments, and strengthen ties with parents and teachers.

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

It is very important that EVERY student has a productive experience and reaches their academic potential, which is normally more significant than what they and others around them feel they can achieve. I will view every concern and issue brought to the school board in that light and evaluate it against the existing laws and policies that we must abide by.

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

To my knowledge, no books have been banned. There is currently a process for evaluating books based on age appropriateness. I will work to expand this process and monitor whether parents' input is used during the evaluation process. I will also verify that the current process to review books currently in the library based on parents' concerns is fairly, equally, and transparently implemented. I do agree that parents should have the right of refusal for their child.

11. Please tell us about yourself.

I am single and have cousins, nephews, and nieces who live in Anne Arundel County and attend AACPS. I graduated from the Prince George’s County Public School System and earned both my bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Maryland.

I spent 23 years at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, where I created and led programs that prepared both STEM and non-STEM students for future careers in government and industry (1997–2019). Following that, I worked for four years at Lockheed Martin in Corporate Engineering, where I led the establishment of the Corporate Lockheed Martin Sustainment Institute (LMSI). This initiative focused on recruiting, retaining, and strengthening the sustainment workforce through professional development, research, technology commercialization, and partnerships. Additionally, I served as the Lead for the Talent and Workforce Initiative for the Corporate Sustainment Council, where I developed the Sustainment Mid-Career Leadership Program, Corporate Recognition Program, career paths, and external university research partnerships (2019–2023).

Over the past year, I served as the Senior Program Manager leading the development and execution of the congressionally mandated Defense Civilian Training Corps program for the Department of Defense. This program aims to create a ready workforce for the DoD civilian pipeline through a robust curriculum, hands-on learning experiences, and summer team projects that address real-world challenges in collaboration with military installations (2023–2024).

Currently, I am in the planning stages of developing a Technology Innovation Launch Pad Factory for youth in Anne Arundel County (June 2024–present). Additionally, I am also a member of the Southern High Integrated Community Steering Team (ICST), a signature program in Anne Arundel County, and mentor the Southern Future Farmers of America (FFA) leadership team (2024–present).

12. Is there anything else we should know?

It is vital for every taxpayer and every business owner to advocate for a quality education for all children, even if you do not have children in the public school system, regardless of the student’s race, socio-economic status, gender, or individual needs. From both national and global perspectives, the U.S. is investing heavily in education while not seeing adequate returns in terms of a skilled workforce. As a result, government and industry struggle to attract the quality talent needed to thrive, while our global competitors excel in education, capabilities, and manpower.

We must build our next-generation workforce to compete in a globally competitive world. I ask that you fight for our children as our parents fought for us!