In Howard County, as our Board of Education race heads toward its June primary, local organizations have begun doling out endorsements to candidates, a practice that is neither new nor particularly noteworthy.
What is noteworthy is the “this is not an endorsement” endorsements that began in March with the Howard County Republican Club having no qualms about listing the candidates that, as they say, “share our conservative values” and “believe in redistricting for capacity only.” (Bruh.)
About a month later, the Columbia Democratic Club followed suit with a similar list of candidates that “share our Democratic values.” Raise your hand if you’re shocked that their list and the HCRC’s list are mutually exclusive.
So much for non-partisan, huh? Perhaps it’s time for Howard County citizens to let go of their pearls and face the truth: the Board of Education race has become a partisan race, regardless of what it says on the ballot.
As politics has become more polarized in America, this is a new normal that we created. Even the most seemingly non-political topic can become political fast in this Facebook food-fight era in which we find ourselves. The topic of public schools is no different; the values to which education leaders hew often seem to align neatly with particular political parties or philosophies. For example, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s horrifying work promoting school choice and dismantling public education is a page out of the Libertarian playbook. Former SecEd John King’s* Education Trust is focused on equity-driven public education with a focus on students of color and economically disadvantaged students, clearly demonstrating progressive values.
Each of these leaders has an internal value system informing their ideas and decisions, and our Board of Education members are no different. They’re human beings with opinions and core values, and the reality is that people’s core values often align with those of a political party. As with any other endorsement, a political party deciding that certain candidates stand for its values is a useful piece of information for a voter. Wouldn’t Howard County Democrats be interested to know that BOE candidate Sezin Palmer in District 4 is a self-proclaimed Libertarian? Wouldn’t it be helpful to know that BOE incumbent Christina Delmont-Small’s popularity with local Republicans is not a coincidence?
We can pretend that BOE candidates don’t have political proclivities and that they aren’t relevant to the position. Or, we can admit that they are, and we can discuss them openly and honestly – before they start making decisions for our children.
* Listen to Dr. King’s recent discussion on the podcast Elevate Maryland.