Meet The Candidate: Chris Martin For State Board Of Education

WASHINGTON, DC — In addition to voting for president and vice president of the United States in the Nov. 3 general election, voters in Washington, D.C., will choose a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives; at-large member of the D.C. Council; member of the D.C. Council for wards 2, 4, 7 and 8; U.S. senator; U.S. representative; at-large member of the State Board of Education; member of the State Board of Education for wards 2, 4, 7, and 8; and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.

Chris Martin, 42, is in real estate development. He is running for the at-large seat on the State Board of Education.

As part of its coverage of the 2020 election, Patch has asked candidates in select races in D.C. to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to fill the job they're running for.

Candidate

Chris Martin

Age (as of Election Day)

42

Office Sought

At- Large State Board of Education

Family

Three young children, two in DCPS, one rising.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

BA Molecular Biology Colgate University, MBA The Robert H. Smith School of Business University of Maryland

Occupation

Real estate development; 19 years.

Campaign website

https://chris4education.com/

The single most pressing issue facing the District is providing universal early childhood education, and this is what I intend to do about it.

In order to achieve equity and provide all of our children an opportunity to learn and grow we need to urgently fund the Birth to Three Act which provides universal early childhood education from birth. If elected, I intend to work with the Mayor and Council to fully fund the act for the next fiscal year.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

Yes. Part of why I entered the race was due to my concerns about the systemic racism and massive disparity Black and Brown families and children experience. We need big, bold thinking and need to invest in our children from day one to support them in every way possible to unlock their remarkable potential.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a father of three young children I am an outsider to education policy bringing a fresh perspective and parent voice. Rather than a broad set of priorities, I am running on a single issue which affects every family in the District. As a natural coalition builder coupled with my experience listening to and working with communities for my development activities I bring a history of results to achieve progress for our communities.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

We need to focus on supporting our neighborhood schools and adding quality capacity to meet the needs of our growing school-aged population inclusive of quality after school programing and technical education. We need to mindfully revise our flawed school rating system, and to support our teachers and administrators alike. Most important, we need to support and amplify parent voice which starts by having more than one parent with children in DCPS on the Board.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have successfully revitalized numerous properties across the District listening to community groups, working with DCRA and activating blighted properties resulting in bringing jobs, goods and services to our neighborhoods. Working with multiple constituencies and delivering results is crucial to the capabilities of a member of the Board.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Funding the Birth to Three Act would make my term in office a success.

Why should voters trust you?

One of the nine members of the Board has a child in DCPS. How can we trust a candidate who doesn't have children enrolled in our schools. My children are young and have many years of education before them. I cannot think of better alignment and trust. Further, unlike my peers, I have no political ambition. I am running on a platform of equity, parent voice and investing in all of the District's children.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Be curious; always ask how, why, and don't be afraid to ask, why not?