Where every school is safe, inclusive, and a positive place for learning
Education starts with the expectation of success for all students. All students deserve to be challenged, encouraged, supported and presented with opportunities that lead to success regardless of income, gender, race, ethnicity, disability or the languages that are spoken at home. If we want our community to be successful, then we need every family and their kids to be successful.
Josh’s parents are now retired public educators, who understood the everyday challenges and opportunities of helping kids not only do well academically, but also be ready to launch into life after graduation. Their own dedication and passion to help students succeed is something that both educators and parents alike in Frederick County demonstrate and share today. Josh will strive to help bring out the best within our community so that together, students throughout Frederick County can be successful, be their best selves and true to who they are.
As a School Board Member, Josh will:
Be a relentless advocate for parents and students in Frederick County to receive our fair share of state funding for education.
Support additional mental and behavioral health counselors in schools.
Advocate for wrap-around services, including academic, language, nutrition, medical, dental and health support services.*
Convene an annual Education Summit that brings our local higher education institutions together to explore pushing the envelope further on creating career pathways that lead to success for all students as they graduate from high school.
Support Full Implementation of Maryland's Blueprint for Education
The Maryland General Assembly passed the landmark Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, “multi-billion-dollar investment in Maryland schools that gives opportunity, hope, and promise to all Maryland students, no matter what they look like, where they come from, or who their family is. The Blueprint projects that 15,000 new educators will be hired, including behavioral health professionals, more paraeducators, and others, allowing more time for collaboration, planning, and individualized attention for students. (Educator pay will also be projected to be raised as well to help attract and retain top teaching talent here in Maryland)” - (Maryland State Education Association, MSEA, https://marylandeducators.org/the-blueprint-a-13-year-plan-for-investment-and-opportunity/).
Josh supports the full implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, and will do so as an advocate for Frederick County to receive its fair share of the funding and support needed for our students and families to be successful.
Josh supports prioritizing the reduction of class sizes and when appropriate, additional in-classroom staff so students receive the academic support they deserve. One idea Josh supports is Maryland state enabling legislation that allows classroom size to be a barganable item for teachers and educators.