Ballots are beginning to arrive in mailboxes, and ballot drop boxes are in place. It’s time to vote, Howard County, but please read this first.
Today, the League of Women Voters of Howard County held a candidate forum for our local Board of Education candidates, a prime opportunity to watch all the candidates as a group debate several important topics. The candidates’ performances so perfectly embodied what I’ve been saying about them all year, so I’m going to present a debate analysis and recap tied in with my recommended candidates. Ready, y’all?
District 1
Christina Delmont-Small (incumbent)
I believe that experience matters, and incumbents generally have that in spades. But in the case of Ms. Delmont-Small, I’m mystified that someone who has spent four years on the BOE can’t seem to come up with any accomplishments. She had plenty to say in today’s forum about what’s wrong with the school system, and she raised complaints about what she would have done if only it weren’t for those pesky other board members getting in the way. Yet, she said nothing about how well she obstructs progress by giving long boardroom sermons about data, then sending central office staff chasing after said data before voting “no” anyway. Except, of course, when it comes to reopening schools in the middle of a pandemic – in which case, she’s all too willing to ignore data in service to her right-wing sensibilities.
Matthew Molyett (HCPR’s pick for District 1)
Mr. Molyett is my pick for District 1, as he has shown himself to hold the same progressive values that I hold dear. An LGBTQ+ ally, a Black Lives Matter supporter, a public education advocate, and a champion of equity, I see him as someone who will ensure that our most marginalized and vulnerable student populations can rely on him to represent them. At today’s forum, he gave credit to other candidates and built upon their ideas, showing a willingness to listen and collaborate. A lot of folks complain about Mr. Molyett’s willingness to be up front and transparent about his political leanings. For me, as a progressive, I find that information useful. After all, had I known Christina Delmont-Small was a conservative in 2016, I might not have voted for her. Just sayin’.
District 2
Antonia Watts (HCPR’s pick for District 2)
Ms. Watts is my pick for District 2, not just because she’s running unopposed, but because she’s amazing. Her voice as an educator and a Black woman will bring important points of view to the BOE, and her ideas and solutions are concrete and achievable. Her responses to today’s questions bore this out, as she rightfully pointed out that it’s time to stop saying “more data;” it’s time to look at the root causes and take action. Her willingness to share her own experiences, such as the “angry Black woman” stereotype impacting discipline for Black girls in school, makes clear how important her perspectives will be on an equity-focused BOE.
District 3
Jolene Mosley (HCPR’s pick for District 3)
Ms. Mosley, who is also running unopposed, is my pick for District 3, and not just because we’re both hockey moms. She has a wealth of experience serving in various committee roles in the school system, giving her unique insight. Her discussions in today’s forum revealed her analytical mindset combined with empathy and understanding, which is indicative that she will use both data AND human experiences to inform her decisions. I see Ms. Mosley as a BOE member who will bring common-sense ideas to the dais that take into account the needs of students and teachers alike.
District 4
Julie Hotopp
The very first question presented to the candidates turned me off of Dr. Hotopp. The question was why the candidates believe there are racial disparities in school discipline and what they would do about it. Dr. Hotopp, presented with a golden opportunity to speak to an issue that is finally getting the attention it deserves, chose to change the subject to gender disparities in learning and how she would resolve that. She completely ignored the question of racial disparities in discipline. Dr. Hotopp is not wrong to bring up gender disparities, but that wasn’t the question. Racial disparities are an important issue for voters in District 4, and her dismissive response shows her to be woefully out of touch.
Jen Mallo (incumbent; HCPR’s pick for District 4)
Ms. Mallo’s performance today is why I say that experience matters. She highlighted her accomplishments, such as the recently adopted equity policy, and she handily refuted specious claims and pandering platitudes from other candidates, affirming their relative lack of knowledge and experience. Ms. Mallo, whose children attended Title I schools, gave specific examples of steps that could help close the achievement gap, such as universal pre-K. Her heartfelt support and understanding of LGBTQ+ students, and the challenges they face, are key to creating a school environment where both students and staff can feel safe and welcome. Her commitment to “making decisions backed by data and science, with an eye toward social justice” is exactly the progressive approach we need – so Ms. Mallo is my pick for District 4.
Sezin Palmer
I’ve worked at a global corporation for over sixteen years. When I say I know Executive-ese when I hear it, I really mean that. Executive-ese is the fluffy language used by people in high-level management positions to say meaningless things. For example, “We will develop a comprehensive, multi-stage plan, based on criteria selected by our stakeholders, coupled with a rigorous management approach that will ensure optimal outcomes.” It sounds good, but when you look closer, it doesn’t really tell us anything useful, such as what’s actually in “the plan.” That’s Sezin Palmer in a nutshell – her responses to the LWV questions were full of Executive-ese, but I didn’t hear any concrete ideas or solutions. Oh wait, no – I’m wrong; she did say that in order to close the achievement gap, she’d like to change our Title I program from schoolwide to targeted. Because, after all, the best way to help schools with concentrated poverty is to take their paltry Title I money and spread it even more thinly. Sounds like something an executive who has never set foot in a Title I school would come up with.
District 5
Yun Lu
Dr. Lu is obviously intelligent and successful, and she has given a lot to the community. However, much like Ms. Palmer, when it comes to her candidacy, she has a lot to say without actually saying anything. I heard plenty about her work as a statistician, her methodologies, her domain expertise, but I didn’t hear what she plans to do. Analyzing data is meaningless unless action is taken, and to me, the corrective actions matter more than the data itself. We know there are disparities in discipline – now, tell us why and how we’ll fix it. That’s what I didn’t hear from Dr. Lu today. Aside from that, Dr. Lu’s silence on the topic of LGBTQ+ issues, her support from conservative groups, and her popularity with the anti-redistricting crowd make me very hesitant to support her.
Cindy Vaillancourt
I don’t know how I feel about Ms. Vaillancourt. She served on the BOE for eight years, so she is not inexperienced. Her answers to today’s questions were reasoned and thoughtful. But her reason for running – that she sees dysfunction creeping back into the BOE – doesn’t sit well with me, because she and Ms. Delmont-Small participated in their own brand of dysfunction during their years together on the board. Something else that doesn’t sit right with me is how much time she spends engaging in the Howard County Neighbors United Facebook group, along with Ms. Palmer, Dr. Hotopp, and Dr. Lu. Perhaps she is attempting to be a voice of reason in there; however, I’d feel a lot better about a candidate who denounced the hateful, toxic group for what it is.
Given that I don’t have warm fuzzies about either Dr. Lu or Ms. Vaillancourt, I can’t rightly make a pick for District 5.
Howard County, our BOE is about to see significant turnover in a year that has seen monumental challenges at the local, state, and national level, at a time when the nation is finally beginning to stand up and pay attention to the importance of social justice and equity in all aspects of society. There is no better time or opportunity to ensure that Howard County’s public education system continues to lead the way on progress and justice. Vote for Matthew Molyett, Antonia Watts, Jolene Mosley, and Jen Mallo and keep our Board of Education progressive.