Teacher Running For School Board To Recruit Educators In Anne Arundel District 1

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 1 candidate Ciera M Harlee.

Voters can check what district they live in at this link. Early voting runs from May 2 through May 9. The primary election is on May 14. The General Election is on Nov. 5. More information on voting locations, registration, mail-in ballots and dropbox ballots is posted here.

Name: Ciera M Harlee (Newcomer)

District: 1

Hometown: Newark, New Jersey

Age On General Election Day: 34

Profession: Teacher

Campaign Website: www.votecieraharlee.com

1. What are your three biggest policy priorities?

As a member of the board, I will prioritize retaining and recruiting quality teachers and staff by ensuring adequate compensation, providing appropriate staffing ratios and identifying attainable pathways to career progression. All students deserve to have school communities where they feel welcomed and safe. We can achieve this together with continuous reassessment of safety protocols and conflict resolution. In order to foster safe school communities, we must also provide the necessary mental health services for all students. I will promote increased awareness and access to career and college readiness pathways for all students.

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

Our greatest need in our county’s public education system is retaining and recruiting quality teachers and staff.

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

The biggest issue in my district is connected to the retaining and recruiting of quality teachers and staff. This is shown in student outcomes.

4. How will you address the teacher shortage?

Under-staffing greatly impacts a school's ability to meet the needs of all students. Whether it be not having improper student to teacher ratios or an inadequate number of bus drivers it all impacts how our students show up and experience our school environments. It is vital that we increase pay and non-monetary supports to keep and attract quality staff.

5. How will you approach balancing the budget?

It is very important to revisit as we are working so we can pivot if and when needed. With any idea we should be consistently and annually evaluating our effectiveness including our budget to make sure that resources are best supporting students.

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

It will greatly impact budgetary decisions. We will have to do even more with less funding. It is important that while assessing for areas where we can modify and adjust our budget, we also actively advocate for an increase in the budget that our students deserve.

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

Redistricting should make sure that we are evenly distributing diverse student populations though out the county. This means making sure that we are considering economic status, race and other metrics to make sure that we are not creating pockets that lack diversity and resources. We also have to create changes that make sense to lower building use but are manageable for students and families.

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

As an educator for nearly a decade and a parent to children in the Anne Arundel County Public School system, I have the experience and knowledge needed to support students, teachers and families.

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

Schools are a space where all students should feel safe and welcomed. Each issue brought to the board especially those related to the treatment of our LGBTQ+ and racially diverse students and families should be heard and addressed. It is important that we not only listen to the issues but work with students and families to make sure that the same issues do not continue to interfere with the experience our students are having.

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

I do not believe in book-banning and would not be in support of widespread banning of books within schools. However, I do support parents having the option to have their individual child opt out of text that they believe do not align with their personal beliefs or values.

11. Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Ciera Harlee. I am a current Baltimore City Schools Teacher and a parent of students in the Anne Arundel County School system. I am running for the District 1 seat for AACPS because schools have become a political arena where decisions are being made that are not always in the best interest of our students. Teachers continue to struggle to meet the endless need present in their classroom. As a teacher and parent I believe that decisions made by the school board should be made in the interest of all students and the staff that support them

12. Is there anything else we should know?

No response was given.