Meet Montgomery County School Board Candidate: Dr. Sunil Dasgupta

ROCKVILLE, MD — When voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 elections, they will be asked to select individuals to serve on Montgomery County's Board of Education.

Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to help provide voters with information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation. Below are the responses from candidate Dr. Sunil Dasgupta

Age (as of Election Day)
52

Town/City of Residence
Aspen Hill

Office Sought
County School Board

Party Affiliation
Democratic

Family
Spouse: Elana Mintz, 48. Three children: 15, 11, 9

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No.

Education
PhD in Political Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Occupation
Professor, 20 years.

Campaign website
sunildasgupta.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office
NA

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
The most pressing issue at this time is how to bring back students and educators back safely into school buildings; and the flip-side of that is to make online education as robust as possible until buildings are entirely reopened and all students back in them. This is not a matter of when, but how.

The BOE — for which I am running — should plan, plan, plan, in order to be ready when public health officials give the green light. The BOE should look into every contingency, explore every avenue, and genuinely consult with stakeholders. I would push MCPS to answer these questions before it sets any deadline for return: What are the proposed protocols for temperature checking, testing, contract tracing, social distancing, and staff substitution?

Right now, not every school has its own nurse. Who is going to take on school health responsibility? There are further questions about which classrooms are actually usable given ventilation problems, staff training in health protection, and how many educators will come back. Rather than addressing these questions, MCPS' approach has led to anxiety and confusion among families and educators.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?
I support Black Lives Matter and have participated in demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd. I believe these demonstrations are overdue and necessary to bring police reform and dismantle the structures of racism that still bedevil the United States.

What are your thoughts on the campaign to "defund" the police?
Policing in America needs a very close and critical examination. Every society needs safety, but every society is also troubled by the question “who will guard the guardians.” I believe our political leadership has failed to guard the guardians and make sure that police officers do not use undue force and engage in racist practices.

What are your thoughts on the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you favor such measures as limiting operation of non-essential businesses or restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a nationwide mask mandate?
The national and state responses to the pandemic have been seriously deficient. I believe in the knowledge, experience, and authority of our public health officials. I want public health officials to be able to work without political interference. Yes, to nationwide masking. Yes, to restricted indoor dining. I am more open to outdoor activities. I am absolutely willing to look at the possibility of SAFE outdoor education as a first step toward return.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
First, I have 20 years of (college) teaching experience, including seven years online, and over a decade of academic management experience, including hiring and managing faculty and developing curriculum, which would be very useful on the board.

Second, I believe that the Board should lead MCPS more assertively rather than follow the superintendent and senior leadership. I will be an independent voice representing families, students, and educators.

Third, I am a first-generation immigrant who represents the changing face of Montgomery County and Maryland. If elected, I will be the second Asian-American to be on the Board in its 140-year history.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)
I am running for an open seat. However, I believe the Board of Education has for many years now followed the superintendent in decision-making rather than lead. I have the experience, knowledge, and the countywide support to push for real reform in MCPS.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.
Public education in the county needs to be strengthened. There is no silver bullet, but we have to make our schools more equitable and improve reading skills. Currently, 50 percent of our third-graders read below grade level. We talk a lot of equity, but if this one issue can be addressed effectively, we will have made our school system much more equitable.

Equity also requires rebalancing of resources and curriculum and staff diversity. Our students also need mental health support, which has not arrived despite years of advocacy and requests. I will support the mental health and wellness not only of our students but also of our educators, who have been stressed by the many transitions and changes they have had to go through.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have successfully run a university academic department for over a decade, including determining its direction, curriculum content, hiring and managing faculty, mentoring students. I have years of online teaching experience and, with MCPS likely to depend on online instruction even after school buildings reopen, I will bring unique expertise to the Board.

I have put together a truly cross-county coalition that stretches from Takoma Park to Poolesville and from Bethesda to Clarksburg and includes major MCPS stakeholders such as teachers and staff unions, and community groups such as CASA in Action and Progressive Maryland. The backing of these groups will help me bring the county together behind critical reform measures.

Lastly, as a PTA leader, I founded and organized an annual youth mental health and wellness forum that brought together MCPS, PTAs, Health and Human Services, other agencies, providers, experts, families and students. It is attended by over 350 people.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?
I want to be judged for strengthening public education in the county.

The foundations for public education in the county are shaky: we have been underfunding our schools for years and have tight budgets coming up, we have neglected a large number of our schools and school communities to the point that we do not have equal access across our school system, 50 percent of third-graders read below grade level and the legacy carries through the grades and into life, decisions about online education and reopening have been mismanaged.

That we are still learning is a testament to educators who have gone above and beyond, to students who are resilient and talented, and families who have dug deep in the reserves to help their children learn. We have to right this ship. This is the benchmark to judge BOE members.

Why should voters trust you?
I am a dad of three MCPS students, one each in elementary, middle, and high schools. I have a direct stake in making the system work and for my own kids to get the best education possible, all their peers must get the best education possible.

I have years of experience in academic management, teaching, including online, and knowledge of how public policy works. Most of the students I teach are MCPS graduates. I see at home and at work what needs to be done. I have been concerned about student mental health for years and now I recognize the importance of making sure that our educators are alright. They are not. I will support our teachers and our staff to bring the best possible education to our students.

Lastly, I have been vetted and endorsed by teachers, staff, and community groups.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?
The BOE does not raise money but spends half of the county's budget. I believe the BOE, or any other spending authority, should hold public money as a sacred trust and use it for public good effectively and efficiently.

According to the Kirwan Commission, Montgomery County is underfunding its public schools by hundreds of millions of dollars. While the Covid recession has hurt our ability to generate new resources, investment in education remains one of the smartest social investments ever made.

Public education produces productive and engaged citizens who make our democracy function. But we cannot be wasteful and we have to show clearly the results of public investments.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?
No

The best advice ever shared with me was:
It's okay to fail. Just get up and try again.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
MCPS is the 14th largest school system in the country with 162,000 students, 25,000 employees, 208 schools, and an annual budget of $2.8 billion not counting the capital spending on buildings and HVAC. Changing direction is hard not just because of the size but because of the structure of governance and the subsequent culture that has developed.

Recently, a former BOE member told me that the Board is not supposed to come up with policy options of their own, but rather to evaluate those presented by the staff, the senior leadership.

Two days later, I talked to a central office staffer working on online education who told me that they were waiting for guidance from the Board all summer. The BOE finally approved a fall plan a few days before school reopened.

So, the Board was waiting on the staff for options and the staff was waiting for the Board for guidance, which makes for the perfect governance gap and it has existed for decades.

In order to put MCPS back on course, win back the trust of families and educators with an effective return to school, and improve student performance, we have to fix this governance gap.

SEE ALSO:

• Meet Montgomery Co. School Board Candidate: Rebecca Smondrowski
• Meet Montgomery County School Board Candidate: Michael Fryar
• Meet Montgomery County School Board Candidate: Steve Solomon