2024 School Board Elections
There’s No Down Time
With so much at stake in school board races across Maryland, there’s little downtime from the May primaries to the November general election. Already in locals where these school board races are so critical, candidates are planning and campaigning, and local educator unions are strategizing how to maximize educators’ influence at the voting booth.
State and local Apple Ballot candidates scored solid wins across the state with an impressive 97% win rate in board of education races—that’s 28 wins out of 29 races! Every recommended educator-candidate won their race, including high school teacher and coach Chad Wilson, Sr. in the board of ed primary in Frederick County, and elementary teacher Natalie Zimmerman in the board of ed primary in Montgomery County. Both recently attended NEA’s See Educators Run, the NEA program that helps educators learn what it takes to move from advocacy to public service. MSEA and NEA believe that one of the most effective ways to promote and protect public education is to encourage educators to run for office. For both Chad and Natalie, the training was a game-changer.
“Like many others, my campaign faces a well-funded Moms for Liberty candidate for the board of education in Frederick County, and it was beneficial to be shown how to stay focused on my message, my policies, and what I believe in.” — Educator and candidate Chad Wilson, Sr.
“As a result of See Educators Run, I’ve begun adjusting my campaign strategies, particularly in terms of canvassing and fundraising by simplifying the message sheet for my volunteers. I’ve also been working more effectively on my donation requests,” Wilson, Sr. said. “It was eye-opening to hear from other educators running campaigns in different parts of the country, and it was extremely empowering to know that we’re all in this together. Our goal is to amplify the voices of educators within our communities, cities, and states, so that we can create better outcomes. Through these connections, I’ve gained new perspectives on national educational issues and received valuable advice on how to handle attacks on educators.”
Are you ready to run? See Educators Run is NEA’s candidate training program custom built for educator candidates. Learn more here.
“The strategy that really opened my eyes and allowed me to adjust was that of staying on message and adapting what I say to fit the message. Like many others, my campaign faces a well-funded Moms for Liberty candidate for the board of education in Frederick County, and it was beneficial to be shown how to stay focused on my message, my policies, and what I believe in.”
See complete Maryland Primary Election results here.
“We are excited to support three great candidates for board of education who are running to support all our students and make sure educators have the resources we need to provide the best possible education for our students,” says Missy Dirks, president of the Frederick County Teachers Association. “We will be working on educating people about the importance of a true and honest education, one that represents all the diversity in our community, as well as safe and welcoming schools are what is at stake.”
In open congressional races, former educator and former MSEA member and Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr. (D) won in District 2, and State Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D) won convincingly in a competitive primary race in District 3.
This message is intended for MSEA members.