I am committed to building a school system in which the wisdom and lived experience of students and staff are central to all decision-making, approaches are based on evidence and decisions are data-driven. I believe in Equity, Excellence, Engagement, and Accountability:

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EQUITY

“All Means All” cannot just be a slogan. MCPS must be consistent to ensure that every student receives a world-class education, no matter where they live.

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• Review every school to identify those missing advanced courses and unique specials.

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• Expand AP courses and regional IB programs - especially to students of color and special education students. Automatically enroll students who meet objective criteria.

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• Provide incentives for experienced teachers and principals to choose and stay in high-needs schools.

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• Expand mental health programs, including trauma-informed practices and restorative justice, in all schools to better serve all students and end disproportional discipline for students of color.

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• Ensure Community Schools are efficiently providing “wraparound” community services in every Title 1 school.

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• Protect the rights of undocumented and Newcomer students, implementing evidence based best practices to serve that community well. Ensure school staff have the professional development they need to understand Newcomer familes and EML students, and are well prepared to meet their unique needs, inside and outside the classroom. 

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• Review field trips for all schools, to provide equitable opportunities and funding, especially in middle and high schools.

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• Create true equity of opportunity by expanding great programs like Global Ecology, CAP, VAPA, STEM Magnets to multiple locations throughout the county, to reduce transportation and geographic barriers to access - an opportunity isn't an opportunity if a student can't get to it.

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EXCELLENCE

What we teach and how we teach must meet high standards.

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• Develop criteria for what an excellent MCPS school looks like, and ensure that all schools meet this standard.

 

• Innovate! Create “learning labs” where teachers develop unique new courses and try innovative new approaches to teaching.

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• Utilize accessible and effective communication tools, in the languages used by MCPS families, to improve ongoing two-way communication between schools and families. Including tools like Remind to share important information in real time. Use multiple strategies to inform students and families of academic programs and opportunities including Career Technology Education programs, emphasizing how and when to access them.

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• Provide an experienced peer mentor for every new teacher.

 

• Partner with county agencies and associations to make sure all pre-K providers use and effectively deliver the same high-quality pre-K curriculum, so all students are ready for kindergarten.

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• Provide high quality Professional Development to support excellent first instruction of all content areas at all grade levels,  and that content prepares them for exams.

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• Expand the current pilot program to increase recess without reducing instructional time.

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ENGAGEMENT

LISTEN to students, teachers, staff, and families! They know things about our schools that decision-makers don’t. Reach them where they are.

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• Ensure that office staff in every school can communicate with non-English speakers. 

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• Ensure that every child has an engaged primary education contact.

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• Use social media and student groups to promote the MCPS student created Stronger Student App, and Safe Schools MD Hotline to anonymously report violence, bullying, drug use, mental health crises and get continuously updated resources

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• Continue my MCPS student intern team (they call themselves the Lynneterns)-- currently 130+ middle and high school students from across the county - to hear their perspective on MCPS issues, and support them in working on issues that they care about.

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• Require that schools offer at least one morning and one evening parent-teacher conference session at a location in the community that is transit-accessible.

 

• Create incentives for teacher home visits and door-knocking campaigns to reach families in high-needs schools with low engagement, and schools being considered for major program changes, construction projects, or boundary reviews.

 

• Require teacher, family, and student input for Key Facility Indicators that determine which schools receive additions and new buildings.

 

• Train centralized crisis response teams to ensure prompt, accurate, effective communication and support in emergencies – a standard approach across all schools.

 

• Partner with Montgomery County’s Vision Zero program, school communities, and county and state highway departments to work continuously to create safe routes to school and identify and relocate unsafe bus stops. Collaborate on smart policies to ensure that all students arrive safely.

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• Allow at students two excused absences for civic action each year.

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ACCOUNTABILITY

All MCPS decisions, policies and practices must be based on transparent data and solid evidence. We must hold ourselves accountable for spending county and state funds wisely.

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• The Board must oversee the reform of the Department of Compliance and Investigations

• Complete secure entrances at every school.

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• The Board of Education must have its own independent analysts to research issues, evaluate budgets, identify ineffective programs and suggest ways to more effectively spend our capital and operating budgets. 

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• Expand the Board of Education's ombuds office with authority to address community, family, and student concerns, including elevating those concerns to the highest level and mediating solutions.

 

• The County Planning Department does a county-wide review of school capacity and plans for county development every four years. MCPS should partner in that review, and use it as a tool to assess how current school boundaries are serving our students.

 

• Add safety supervisors and expand camera storage on special education buses to protect our most vulnerable students.

 

• Provide easy access to comprehensive Open Data that is current, detailed, and user-friendly, allowing comparisons between schools and clusters.

 

• Prioritize sustainability. Require LEED certification for all new construction. Transform the MCPS bus fleet to all-electric vehicles. Include climate change education in the curriculum at all levels. Create an MCPS “sustainability team” that includes students from elementary, middle and high school. Read how our students are taking the lead on this.

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• Consistently enforce existing cell phone policy.

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• Continuously look for good ideas and best practices from other similar-sized, high-performing school systems.