Education in Howard County is the main economic driver. With the majority of the county budget going towards education, we need to establish policies towards equity in all schools so each child has the opportunity to reach his/her fullest potential. With my experience on the Board of Education, I am invested in making our schools a priority. Students need a safe environment to learn in a classroom that has adequate resources and is not overcrowded. Our educators are the most valuable resource to educate the next generation and need adequate compensation to be able to live and teach in the school communities.

I will work to ensure:

• Safe Schools for Children; After Sandy Hook, I called the County Executive and the superintendent and asked them to develop round table discussions with the education community and law enforcement that led to safer entrances at our schools. We need to continue those discussions because we need more than just locked doors to keep students safe.
• Mental Health for Children; As a physician, I have seen an increase in mental health problems in children. There are not enough mental health providers to handle this, and we need a root cause analysis.
• Support for Educators and Students; I believe that our educators need to be well compensated for the hard work they do educating our children. Investing in our children and educators is paramount.
• More Flexible Learning with Online Courses; In this digital age, we need to use all tools and technologies available to us to increase learning opportunities for our students.
• Early Developmental Screening and Surveillance; Early identification is the key to successful educational and developmental interventions.
• Work to Address Overcrowding in Schools.