Peter Beilenson, the former Baltimore City health commissioner, is running for a seat on the Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education representing the 5th district, which includes the Towson area.
His website says he supports:
-Hiring a First-Rate School Superintendent
-Implementing Universal Pre-K
-Enhancing Anti-Bullying Initiatives and other School Safety Programs
-Increasing Availability of Healthy Food Alternatives and Physical Education
-Reducing Class Sizes
-Attracting and Retaining the Best Teachers and Principals in Maryland
-Providing a More Robust Life Skills Curriculum
-Increasing the number of Community Schools Serving Areas of Concentrated Poverty
Julie Henn
Current board member Julie Henn is also running in the 5th district. If no other candidates run, they will face off on the November ballot. If one or more additional candidates file, they will all compete on the June primary ballot.
Henn, who is a BCPS parent, served as chair of the Northeast Area Education Advisory Council of Baltimore County prior to being appointed to the school board. She is the Chief Information Officer and Director of Technology for QM Quality Matters, a global non-profit organization dedicated to quality assurance in online education.
She has an Executive MBA from Loyola University in Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Marquette University.
This is the first time voters will get to choose members of the school board. Until this year, all members were appointed. Going forward, it will be a hybrid board with seven elected members (one from each councilmanic district), four appointed members, and one student member.
If you’re considering a run, file now. The process is complicated and will take several days.