Place of residence: Mount Airy Date of birth: Aug. 29, 1971 Place of birth: Uniontown Current occupation: Independent contractor Education: B.S., elementary and kindergarten education, The Pennsylvania State University; M.Ed. school supervision and administration, Bowie State University Community associations, involvement: Mount Airy Schools Task Force, Parr’s Ridge PTA, Teacher Appreciation Week Co-Chair, Carroll County Public Schools Curriculum Council, Parents at Home, Suburban Maryland Alumni Chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi, Saint Michael’s Catholic Church Professional associations: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Family: Husband, Stephen; children, Alex, 7, and Katie, 5 Campaign office address and telephone: P.O. Box 922, Mount Airy, MD 21771; 301-829-6512 Web site: www.JenniferSeidel.org Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

Carroll Board of Education

Jennifer Seidel

Teacher attraction and retention. We need to actively attend college job fairs, and seriously consider offering the best candidates open contracts in the late spring. We also need to find ways to retain teachers since a high percentage are eligible or will soon be eligible for retirement. Involving teachers in decisions at all levels will increase job satisfaction. Highly satisfied teachers will want to work beyond their retirement age, which will help curb a mass exit.

School safety. In light of the many school shootings in the last decade, we need to work as a school community to ensure that safety is a top priority. Communication systems need to be tested on a regular basis to ensure that administrators, teachers and parents are kept informed. Regular testing of these systems will allow communications to run more smoothly in the event of an actual emergency.

Facilities. Third, we need to carefully create a long-term plan for our aging school facilities countywide. At this time, as we experience a slowdown in growth, we need to evaluate the buildings in our school system carefully. We need to engage in long-term planning to ensure that needs are met systemwide, and that renovations, additions, and modernizations are a priority. Finally, at this time of limited resources, we need to find creative ways — through ventures such as business partnerships and grants — to help achieve our goals.

How would you rate the performance of the current school board: excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

I would rate their performance differently based on the issue at hand.

How would you rate the job performance of Superintendent Charles Ecker, excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

Again, I would rate his performance differently based on the issue. I believe Dr. Ecker’s heart is in the right place when it comes to making decisions for our children. I believe he is a man who values children, and I believe that is critical for someone at the helm of a school system.

Is the county funding for schools too much, about right or too little? If too little, where would you find additional money?

Unfortunately, with a slowing economy, budgets statewide are limited. As a county, we will be challenged with finding more creative ways to fund programs, construction, etc. Seeking out such things as business partnerships and grants will be critical because it will be hard to meet our needs with county funding alone in the next few years.

Do you think the current system for renovating and building schools is adequate or does it need changing?

I think we need to be more careful about evaluating our facilities’ needs, creating maintenance plans for our buildings, and making decisions about our priorities. We need to work toward a goal of reducing the number of portables in our school system, updating and adding onto facilities, and ensuring that all students have access to equitable resources. Again, creativity in seeking funding will be critical, but it is attainable.

What do you think about the board’ s relationship with the community?

I would very much like to see the community more involved with the Board of Education. First, I would love to see the Board of Education meetings broadcast on the Internet, so that families without access to the local cable stations might be able to view them. Many board meetings are held while members of the community are at work or at home with small children. I would love to find a way to make the meetings more accessible and inviting to community members.

I would also like to see more communication from the board members. For example, as a parent I have written to several board members over time. Most have never responded to me. I realize replying to each e-mail would be time-consuming, but even an automatic reply acknowledging receipt is better than none at all. Creating a positive, two-way relationship is critical to the success of our system.

Do the commissioners have too much, too little or not enough oversight of the school system?

I think our commissioners work hard to balance the needs of the schools with the other needs of the county. Ultimately in control of the budget, they need to be involved in the dealings of the school system. I think a solid working relationship is important.

I believe if we have Board of Education members who do their homework and communicate effectively the needs of our school system, our commissioners will be able to trust the knowledge of the Board of Education, and with confidence provide the necessary funding. Trust is most important in this relationship. Building a knowledgeable Board of Education is the key.

Are the schools safe for students and teachers? If not, what should be done?

I think overall our schools are safe for our students and our teachers. However, I do believe that there is always room for improvement. I know we currently have programs in place, working with local first responders, to strengthen our security. I would very much like to see communication systems tested on a regular basis to ensure that community members are kept informed in emergency situations. And, I would love to see more professional development at schools to ensure that all staff members and teachers know how to communicate with and work with students when emergency situations arise.