Meet Howard County Education Board Candidate: Matthew Molyett

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 Matthew Molyett.

Age (as of Election Day)

33

Town/City of Residence

Ellicott City

Office Sought

County School Board

Party Affiliation

Nonpartisan office - registered Democrat

Family

Spouse - Mel Molyett
Children - 7th grade, 3rd grade, Kindergarten

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Not in my immediate family

Education

Master of Science - Cybersecurity

Occupation

Technical Leader - Malware Research @ Cisco Talos.
Information Security and Technology as a field (12 years)

Campaign website

https://elect.molyett.com

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

The single most pressing issue facing our board is managing the unique & new problems associated with virtual/distance learning in the age of COVID and eventually transitioning back to in-person learning (safely). I intend to use my experience as a cybersecurity expert to develop best practices for adapting to virtual learning that are data-driven and based on evidence from online learning programs that have existed long before COVID. I also will prioritize the safety of our students and educators, and not resume normal school activities until the medical and scientific consensus is that it has been deemed safe to do so - we can’t sacrifice the lives of our students and educators just because virtual learning is not ideal.

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

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

We need more funding and societal prioritization for mental health and social welfare services.

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

There are a few major differences between my opponent and I, but the most important one is that I believe in science and medical data and will listen to the warnings of experts, while my opponent has consistently ignored the clear dangers presented by COVID-19, even going as far as to vote to send our students back to in-person classes earlier this year during the height of COVID, and bringing in Reopen Protest leaders to fill high level positions in her campaign.

Another clear line of separation between me and my opponent is that I will represent ALL students in office, and value Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, unlike my opponent, who voted against the Office of DEI, and was the center of a lawsuit recently settled by the HCPSS alleging homophobic discrimination. My A grade from the Community Allies of Rainbow Youth is the result of my dedication to supporting and affirming all of our students, whereas my opponent was graded F.
The last major difference between my opponent and I is that my interpretation of the role of the Board of Education is to protect and strengthen public school education - and not charter or private school interests.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

When you are informed you have caused harm it not enough to say that you didn't mean to. You must ask yourself if you meant to not. You should always mean to not cause harm.