Three seats on the Montgomery County Board of Education were up for grabs in yesterday’s general election. According to the latest unofficial results from the Maryland State Board of Elections, Apple ballot candidates Rita Montoya (At-Large), Natalie Zimmerman (District 2), and Laura Stewart (District 4) all appear to have won their races. The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) has released the following statement:
In yesterday’s general election, Montgomery County voters made their decision clear: it is time for new leaders to join the Board of Education committed to investing in our students and educators, as well as greater budget transparency.
“It was gratifying to see that Montgomery County voters understood the importance of electing new voices to the school board,’ said MCEA President David Stein. “We need champions – like Natalie Zimmerman, Laura Stewart, and Rita Montoya – on the school board who bring a commitment to greater transparency and oversight to the school budget and the budgeting process.”
These election outcomes also underscore the public’s understanding that recent budget woes cannot be repeated. Due to underfunding, classes are overcrowded, and academic programs have been cut. “It’s time to make a generational investment in public education in this County, one that gives all students the opportunity to succeed,” said MCEA Vice President Danillya Wilson. “We’re looking forward to working with these newly elected members of the board, as well as our community, to help make that investment a reality.”
MCEA represents more than 14,000 classroom teachers, school counselors, speech pathologists, media specialists and other educators in the Montgomery County Public Schools system; MCEA is one of the largest local affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA) and is a leader in building a new kind of educators’ union that responds to the needs of today’s educators and students. For more information, visit www.mceanea.org.