Hello. My name is Erica McFarland and I would love to earn your support as a District 3 candidate for The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County. I am a wife and a military mom to two graduates and two current students at Chesapeake High School.
An Independent Voice for Our Students and Teachers
Service to my community
After serving as a Citizens Advisory Committee representative in the Chesapeake Cluster for one year, I was chosen to be the Vice-Chair for the 2023-2024 school year.
While my children were students at Ft. Smallwood Elementary School, I volunteered for hundreds of hours, assisting teachers inside and outside of the classroom, and leading fundraising efforts for the Race For Education. This helped acquaint me with the day to day needs in our schools and kept me connected to the school community.
I served as Den Leader and Committee Chair for my sons’ Cub Scout Troop and Boy Scout Troop.
Through countless field trips, scout camp outs, career day, working in the classroom, being a cheerleading parent, helping out with the CHS Robotics Team, and in my mentorship positions as an adult leader, I have consistently shown up for our children. As some are growing into adulthood now, I could not be more proud of them.
Key Issues
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I wholeheartedly support our amazing educators. Teachers come into this profession because they have the heart and passion for helping our children to become well-rounded, well-educated, good human beings. I share that heart. I believe that when we give teachers the proper tools and support, student achievement follows suit.
Our educators have had to adapt to a whole new way of learning in the face of unexpected challenges over the past few years and I am proud of how they continued to show up for our students and model new ways of learning at a time when face to face connection was lacking. One of my children personally struggled a lot during the pandemic and the kind assurance of teachers and administrators became a life-line during a difficult time.
I think the Board of Education and our Superintendent, Dr. Bedell has made some strides in catching up with pay increases and with recruiting incentives to bring the best teachers to AACPS. We must continue this work and focus on keeping all of the amazing educators we have. I want to listen to concerns and support our educators in supporting our children.
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For me, my faith is the absolute core of who I am. I support the right of individuals to express their faith in school through their clothing choices, such as wearing religious symbols or head coverings. Additionally, if an individual wants to pray before a test or in the cafeteria before eating, that is a personal choice that should be respected. Individuals should be free from bullying, harassment and discrimination due to their personal beliefs.
In love, I also respect that there are people who do not share my beliefs and we all must live and learn and work together. Therefore, I believe that we have the duty to respect the diversity of beliefs within our schools and encourage kindness and acceptance, ideals that unite us in love for our neighbor.
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In the 2022-2023 school year especially, there were definitely challenges with the shift of start times and the lack of bus drivers happening simultaneously. There were very real concerns about children not having a bus to bring them to or take them home from school, traffic problems and overcrowded buses. I am glad to see the hard work that went in to recruiting and training new bus drivers and I support continuing to find ways to ensure that each student has reliable transportation to and from school.
In the Pasadena community, I am aware of the concern with Mountain Road. I have driven that road many times before school in the morning. While it is not within the scope of The Board of Education to make changes to the infrastructure of the community, I will thoughtfully take into consideration the existing challenges and be careful not to compound the problem further.
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We must prioritize the mental health of our students. When mental health suffers, all other aspects of the child’s life are affected, including learning. Care in our schools and addressing bullying is a good place to start. We also need to make sure that the students have access to proper medical professionals, should mental health crises arise.
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I have a heart for children who have special needs. As a mom, nothing tugs at my heartstrings more than a child who wants to learn but has challenges that often get in the way. There were times when I felt like it was me and my child against the world, trying desperately to fit a square peg into a round hole. I see you. You belong. I want to work with you to ensure that all students’ needs are being met, regardless of challenges.
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I believe that there isn’t one right path after graduation that fits every student. As a school system, we should encourage and support students in whichever path they choose. I support the initiatives already put in place such as high school internships, job training, military recruitment and the partnership with Anne Arundel Community College through the ECAP program which now provides free classes and materials to our high school students who wish to participate. Initiatives such as these remove financial barriers and help set our students up for success. I want to continue to explore ways to ensure that all students feel ready and confident in moving from high school graduation on to the next step.
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I value your tax dollars that help fund the education of our children. I believe it is the duty of the stewards of the money invested in our children to spend wisely and to provide a good return. While recognizing that there are many moving parts and important projects and initiatives to fund, I am budget-conscious and fiscally responsible.
Get involved
I will work hard to help make our AACPS community a place where we can all work together for our children- our future. But I cannot do it alone. I ask that our community come together in support of our children.
Will you join me?