Meet HoCo Education Board Candidate: Christina Delmont-Small

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — When voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 elections, they will be asked to select individuals to serve on the Howard County's board of education.

Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to help provide voters with information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation. Below are the responses from candidate Christina Delmont-Small.

Age (as of Election Day)

56

Town/City of Residence

Ellicott City

Office Sought

County School Board

If you are a congressional candidate, please indicate for which district (District 1, District 3, etc.)

Family

I'm married and have two children (one is a current HCPSS student and one is a recent HCPSS graduate)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My husband works for an agency of the Federal Government and does not have anything to do with my position on the Board of Education.

Education

BA Political Science and Economics, Boston College

Occupation

Stay at Home Mother (18 years); Member, Board of Education of Howard County (2016 - Present)

Campaign website

ChristinaForBOE.org

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Member, Board of Education of Howard County (2016 - Present)

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The operating budget is the single most pressing issue facing our Board of Education. I will continue to advocate that the school system institute responsible budgeting and spending of tax dollars that takes into account current and future needs, and linking funding decisions to evaluated, data-driven student outcomes. The budget process is broken - it’s a process that over and over results in sending a budget to the county executive that does not prioritize student outcomes and ignores economic realities. The result is a failure to serve our community well.

Just because many accept that we must ask for more than is economically feasible because the county executive can only cut, and not add to the budget, is not a realistic process. When we send the budget to the County Executive we create a false impression that the budget will be fully funded and false hope that reductions will not need to be made. In addition, it is unrealistic and irresponsible that we do not factor the impact current budget decisions will have on future budget decisions.

The superintendent’s proposed budget to the board of education should include detailed information from school system experts as to what to prioritize when reductions need to be made to the budget. By waiting until the budget is not fully funded by the county executive does not allow for adequate time in the process to make millions of dollars in reductions. Rushed decisions are often not rooted in thoroughly analyzed data and therefore put good student outcomes at risk.

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?

I, and the school system, should support Black lives. I believe a more long-lasting solution is to ensure Black authors are incorporated into our English classes, Black history taught in our History classes, and included throughout the curriculum. I would like to see that we also increase hiring of teachers and staff that represent the diversity of our students. Demonstrations can lead to an increased awareness of social issues and I support the right of people to peaceably assemble under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

What are your thoughts on the campaign to "defund" the police?

As a board of education member, I can only speak to the use of School Resource Officers (SROs). SROs provide safety for our students, teachers, administrators, and staff in school buildings and are a vital part of community policing. Our Howard County State’s Attorney, Rich Gibson, stated he is in favor of SROs. The alternative to SROs would mean police without the additional training of SROs would have to provide the law enforcement coverage, according to the law.

Building positive relationships between our students and law enforcement is important for our whole community. We need to focus on strengthening relationships and learning about and from each other to reduce negative and dangerous interactions between citizens and the police. If there are problems with particular SROs, that needs to be addressed. I empathize with the concerns we have heard from students who view SROs as inhibiting their education and I support the superintendent’s efforts to address and improve the SRO program with community leaders, students and families.

What are your thoughts on the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you favor such measures as limiting operation of non-essential businesses or restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a nationwide mask mandate?

As a board of education member, I’m concerned about the impact the coronavirus is having on our students – especially those who are not available to learn in a 100 percent virtual environment. There is also a negative impact on the mental health of our students due to the isolation during the pandemic. We need to work toward getting students, educators and staff SAFELY back in our schools and offer a well-developed 100 percent virtual option to families and educators who choose that option.

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

Experience. I have been a public education advocate for over 11 years. I started by getting involved in leadership positions at the local PTA level. I then served on the PTA Council of Howard County, including three years as president. I served on the Maryland PTA Board of Directors, was a member of multiple Operating Budget Review Committees and when the school system eliminated the committee, I established and co-chaired a Citizens Operating Budget Review Committee with the then president of the teacher’s union.

As a board of education member, I’ve served on the legislative committee, I’m chair the audit committee and was appointed to the County Executive’s Spending Affordability Advisory Committee by both County Executive Ball and Kittleman.

I’ve spent time trying to make things better and want to make improvements for students because I’m deeply invested in our community and the success of all of our students. I’m not running because of one issue - I’ve been a long-standing advocate for students since my children entered HCPSS. My approach is to look at all aspects/processes of the school system and address where we fall short so improvements can be made. I’ve been criticized for asking too many questions, but to me that is the job of a member of the Board of Education.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

We must reinforce the board of education as a check and balance on the superintendent/school system by providing clear expectations and guidance to the superintendent and holding the superintendent accountable to those expectations. I strongly believe that the HCPSS has the best outcomes when parents, students, educators and the community have input into decisions and I will continue to advocate for their voices to be part of the decision-making process. I am a strong advocate for student data privacy knowing that their educational and personal information could cause serious problems for them long into the future if not protected.

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

My analysis/questioning of bids and contracts has changed how we review/track/approve the spending of millions of taxpayer dollars. I discovered there was no process to evaluate companies providing products/services and we’d use companies again without knowing if they did a good job. Performance is now tracked and the data is used when considering to use these companies again. Savings from this effort can increase funding in the classroom.

I discovered agreements with outside entities were coming to the board of education for approval without first being reviewed by the general counsel. Now, the general counsel reviews agreements before presentation to the board of education. I advocated for HCPSS putting MPIA responses online so the community has access to the information.

I’ve been at the forefront of advocating for protecting student privacy and data. We now have a strong student data governance and privacy policy that requires data privacy protections for all contracts/grants/agreements. I’ll continue to advocate that we have a responsibility to establish policies protecting student privacy and data that are more stringent than state/federal laws.
I wanted to create a board cluster representative for special education non-public schools where HCPSS places students so parents would have a direct board of education contact. My colleagues and I compromised by establishing a board liaison, and I currently hold this position. I have assisted many parents who have had difficulties with the school system advocate for their children.

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

I would like to improve the budget process. Currently, the school system decides the compensation that will be paid under negotiated agreements without knowing what the budget will be. In addition, the superintendent must present a budget that includes everything that he would want, even if it is not close to being economically not feasible. When the Board holds public hearings regarding the operating budget, the testimony is regarding a budget that in no way represents the budget that is submitted to the County Government. We need to change the budget process so that we are able to make funding decisions based on funding available and for the community to provide input on a realistic budget so we can have the discussion necessary to determine how to operate HCPSS within the funding received from our funding authorities. HCPSS has been forced to cut beneficial programs due to budget constraints.

Why should voters trust you?

I have demonstrated over the past four years that I am willing to ask the hard questions and will not make decisions until I have complete and accurate information. I take seriously my fiduciary duty to be a good steward of the tax dollars we receive and provide the education each HCPSS student deserves. I have worked to increase the level of parent, student and community involvement in school system decisions.

I won’t compromise when it comes to the board of education’s fiduciary responsibility to provide an outstanding public education, to support and sustain a school system to meet the needs of a variety of learners, and be fiscally responsible.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

The school system has to do a better job of linking tax dollars to student outcomes. If a program or procedure is not working to increase achievement, for instance, we need to stop putting dollars towards it and find a better way.

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:

When someone is willing to take the time to speak with you, they are giving something to you that they will never get back again – time. Be respectful, listen carefully and make the best possible use of that time.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As a member of the board of education of Howard County, my responsibility is to the students, parents, teachers, community and taxpayers of Howard County. I must make decisions that are in the best interest of our students and our school system. I will continue to ask the hard questions and expect that the board of education and the community receive complete and accurate information before decisions are expected to be made. I will expect and reinforce a board of education culture of transparency, accountability and oversight over the board of education and the school system. I bring a much needed common sense approach to the board of education and make decisions based on listening to the community and stakeholders, data and facts, not emotions.