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Baltimore County Board of Education
District 4
J. Michael Collins
Non-Partisan
72
Reisterstown, Baltimore County
Retired
2 AA degrees, fire service and real estate from CCBC
Canidate for House of Delegate 11th and Candidate for Clerk of the Curt
Why are you running for office?
The children are not getting the proper education with virtual learning, not getting the proper history of our country and parents are being left out of the process.
What do you see as the most pressing issue the county school system faces and how would you address it?
There needs to be a proper learning environment, including proper climate control in the buildings. All new schools should be ducted for heat and air conditioning and pay for it with savings afforded by solar panels.
How should county schools assist students in recovering from the learning loss?
Students need to get in person classes. The loss of learning is the result of not being in class and it would be hard to try and recover the lost time. Tutors may be needed to help those you are not comprehended the material fast enough.
Should the county school board redraw school boundaries further? If so, using what criteria?
I am currently unfamiliar with the boundaries, but the schools should only have enough students as the school was designed for. New schools may need to be constructed to keep up with over development.
What efforts do the county schools need to make to address systemic racism in education and society?
I believe the word, racism, is used way to often as a means to make a point. Society needs to find a way to address this issue, if it is happening. If it is happening in any school, it needs to be addressed immediately, including suspension or expulsion.
What, if any, changes would you propose to the school system’s discipline policies?
I am unfamiliar with the current policies, but discipline is key to a proper learning environment. One child or young adult cannot be allowed to disrupt the learning environment of others and needs to be addressed immediately.
How would you set priorities for school construction and renovation? Has the county devoted adequate resources to maintaining or replacing school buildings?
Every new school needs to have solar panels to reduce electric bills and then use the money for air conditioning and heat ducting. In older schools install wall units for this purpose. Money only goes so far. Stop renovating old schools and replace them with new buildings as money is available.
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