2022 Candidate Profile: Scott Joftus For Board Of Education District 3

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Scott Joftus was appointed by the Montgomery County Board of Education in December 2021 to complete the term of Pat O’Neill, who died in September 2021.

Joftus was one of the top two vote-getters in the July primary election for Board of Education District 3, allowing him to run in the general election on Nov. 8. He is running against Julie Yang in the general election.

Eighteen years ago, Joftus founded FourPoint Education Partners, a company that provides technical assistance to superintendents and school boards across the nation.

The Montgomery County Board of Education includes five members who are required to reside in a district, two at-large members who can reside anywhere in the county and one student member. The five district members, like the at-large members, are elected county-wide.

Early voting will run from Oct. 27 through Nov. 3. Early voting centers in the county will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. each day.

Patch asked each of the candidates for the Montgomery County Board of Education for their answers to the same questions. Here are Joftus's responses:

Name

Scott Joftus

Campaign Website

www.joftus4boe.com

Age (as of Election Day)

54

Town of Residence

Bethesda

Family

My wife is Cara Lesser, founder and executive director of KID Museum. I have a two daughters — one who graduated from Whitman two years ago and another who is a senior at Whitman now.

Education

BA, Duke University

MPP, University of California at Berkeley

EdD, George Washington University

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office (if any)

Currently, I am a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. I was appointed unanimously by the board in December 2021 to complete the remaining term of Pat O’Neill who passed away in September 2021.

The single most pressing issue facing Montgomery County schools is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

To me, the number one priority in making this transition is to improve engagement of and communication with stakeholders. I have already begun this work by visiting schools and meeting with parents, principals, educators, and community leaders across the county. But much more needs to be done to ensure that students, families, staff, teachers, and administrators have a voice in decision making and a clear understanding of district plans. This is a priority for me because I believe that schools benefit our entire community, and their success depends on the contributions and support of ALL stakeholders.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

I am the only candidate for the board of education with school-system-level experience and the expertise to effect positive change. I have been professionally involved in public education for more than 30 years, beginning as a 4th and 5th grade teacher in Brooklyn and Los Angeles as a member of the first-ever corps of Teach for America. After getting my Master’s in Public Policy at UC Berkeley, I worked in several organizations that conducted research in education, provided technical assistance to schools and districts, and advocated to improve education for students most at risk of dropping out of school.

After completing my doctorate degree, I joined forces in 2004 with Christopher Cross — a former President of the Maryland State Board of Education and Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education — to create Cross & Joftus, a small education consulting practice. Cross & Joftus was dedicated to helping education leaders significantly improve outcomes for all students. With the addition of new partners, Cross & Joftus became FourPoint Education Partners, continuing our deep commitment to equity and inclusion.

Over the last 18 years, Cross & Joftus and FourPoint Education Partners have worked with hundreds of school districts, non-profits, foundations, and for-profits in the areas of school and district improvement, strategic planning, equity audits and training, college and career readiness, community schools, and leadership development.

During this time, GW’s Graduate School of Education asked me to serve as an adjunct professor. Over the last 12 years, I have taught Master’s students various education policy courses, and I am helping pilot a Master’s program with the Graduate School for students in Azerbaijan, where I will be teaching in the summer of 2022.

The founding and leadership of FourPoint have afforded me the opportunity to work with school boards and superintendents from across the country. My work as an adjunct professor at GW has helped me further develop my theoretical knowledge and translate this knowledge to upcoming leaders in education. These experiences have taught me a great deal and make me uniquely qualified to continue serving on the Montgomery County Board of Education during these historically challenging times.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to improving engagement of and communication with stakeholders, I have two other priorities.

First, we need to address the lost learning time resulting from the pandemic and causing steep drops in our children’s academic preparedness. Most of our children in Montgomery County don’t face the same barriers to learning as my students in Brooklyn did, but some do. And all our students need help coming out of the isolation of the pandemic. This is a big and complex issue, especially given the national teacher shortage. So for now, let me just say that this board and administration are looking to creative solutions, including contracting with a private provider for online tutoring, available to all students in the district 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I commit to you that I will work with all stakeholders to continue proposing and monitoring innovations that result in our children discovering their pathways to academic success.

Second, we must address the mental health of students and staff. Few of our students are coming to school as their best selves these days. And while I don’t like to throw around the hero term, staff, educators, and administrators are worn down, having carried our communities through dangerous and uncertain times.

And as with learning loss, addressing this priority is made more difficult by a counselor shortage. Most people don’t realize that this board has put a significant amount of resources into mental health positions that remain unfilled.

So, again, we have tried to be innovative, and I’m proud to say that the district will be rolling out access to launching a 24/7 online counseling service at zero cost to families and staff. Let’s be clear, this is no silver bullet, and there will undoubtedly be rollout challenges. But this is an example of innovation intended to ease the stress on our amazing mental health professional that we have in buildings already, while still giving all 150,000 students access to needed support.

And, as with academics, I will continue to push for innovations and program evaluation of initiatives because I believe that children cannot learn and staff cannot do their critical work without mental health supports.

How would you recommend mitigating any learning loss by students during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Addressing students’ significant learning loss will require a comprehensive effort that includes allocating resources equitably to ensure that schools serving the greatest concentrations of students from low-income families and students of color have the supports (including mental health, counselors, and social workers) they need to excel, expanding access to preK, ensuring that students have access to the highest quality teachers and principals, improving instruction and programs for English language learners and students with disabilities, expanding access to tutoring and extra-curricular activities, and continuing the shift to a “structured” literacy program for students in K-3. Education is the great equalizer, and my current and ongoing work will focus on improving outcomes for all students.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My short tenure (about 10 months) demonstrates not only that I can handle this job but that I can work collaboratively with my board colleagues and the administration to foster systemic change. I was well prepared and uniquely qualified to contribute to the board as a result of my 18 years advising and supporting superintendents and school boards across the country and serving as an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education.

Why should voters trust you?

I have been an active member of the community of Montgomery County for over 20 years. I am an MCPS parent who has participated in many of my daughters’ activities, including coaching basketball for several years.

I am also the husband of Cara Lesser, the Founder and Executive Director of KID Museum, which has been providing hands-on, STEM-focused learning opportunities for children and youth from across the county for 10 years. We have been active members of Beth El Synagogue in Bethesda — where our daughters went to preschool and got Bat Mitzvahed — for almost 20 years.

Finally, I am the Founder and President of FourPoint Education Partners, a small business based in Bethesda that will be turning 19 in March. FourPoint advises and provides technical assistance to superintendents and boards of education leading school districts across the country.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

From an education improvement standpoint, I have learned from mentors that school systems must be coherent in order to improve. Coherence means that a system defines a clear strategy for how it will get better and then aligns resources, systems, structures, and culture with that strategy. It sounds relatively straightforward, but most systems, including MPCP, struggle and this prevents or slows the improvement that we all want.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have been endorsed by the following organizations: SEIU, Association of Black Democrats of Montgomery County, the Latino Democratic Club of Montgomery County, Progressive Neighbors, Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate, and Leadership for Educational Equity.

I have been endorsed by the following individuals: Former County Executive Ike Leggett, Former Secretary of Labor and DNC Chair Tom Perez, the Past Presidents of the Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club, the three Past Superintendents of Montgomery County Public Schools, the two Past Presidents of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs, Past Presidents of the Montgomery County Board of Education (Shebra Evans, Chris Barclay, Shirley Brandman), Maryland State Senator and Democratic Leader Nancy King, Howard University Professor and Former Nashville Superintendent Shawn Joseph.

RELATED: 2022 Montgomery County General Election: Candidate Guide, How To Vote