Basic Information
Email karlasilvestre2018@gmail.com
Website www.karlasilvestre.com
Facebook facebook.com/karlasilvestre4BOE
Twitter @KarlaSilves_BOE
Questions & Responses (All Candidates)
1 – What lessons learned do you have since the start of the pandemic?
The mental health crisis that was prevalent before the pandemic became much worse, interfering with student learning. A valuable lesson from the pandemic is that we are finally giving mental health the attention and resources it needs. I support a full complement of wellness and mental health options for students and staff. Also, the pandemic forced us to use technology like never before. We can harness the lessons in technology utilization to offer more specialized courses in all schools where low enrollment prevented schools from making these available. Technology can be leveraged for virtual services like telehealth and for alternative scheduling through the virtual academy’s evening program for students that must work during the day.
2 – If you could go back and do one thing differently from what was done in the last two years in Montgomery County what would you change?
I would have liked for MCPS to have opened the equity hubs sooner so that students without support at home could have come to locations to be supervised and helped with online learning. I would have liked to have had equity hub options for students with special needs.
3 – What do you think are the 3 biggest and most pressing issues facing our county in the next 4 years? Why?
From an education perspective, I would say safety, finances, and human capital. We are in the middle of a youth mental health crisis in our country and coupled with the increase of ghost guns, it creates issues that must be addressed wholistically addressing root causes.
In terms of finances, the pandemic brought federal funding to the school system that allowed MCPS to fund much needed, strategic wellness and technology initiatives that we now must incorporate into the base budget.
We must also fund the important work of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Blueprint for the Future – Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD (montgomeryschoolsmd.org). Finally, the national teacher shortage before the pandemics is now exacerbated with the current hiring challenges. We cannot run a school system without personnel.
4 – What specifically do you plan to do in the 3 most pressing areas from Question 3?
School climate is key to school safety. Schools should support preventative strategies such as ensuring that students have a trusted adult with whom they can speak, increased staff supervision, wellness centers, social workers, youth development opportunities & restorative justice practices. We must hear from our principals and students to understand what school climate and security measures are still needed. Finally, we must have effective collaboration with our police department to maximize safety with clear roles and expectation for each agency. This is a larger community issue that needs an all-hands-on-deck approach to community-wide solutions.
Mental health. The mental health crisis that was prevalent before the pandemic became much worse, interfering with student learning and endangering the lives of our students. I support a full complement of wellness and mental health options for students. These include integrating wellness into the curriculum and school day, telehealth, contracts with in-person therapists like Jewish Social Services and EveryMind, social workers, restorative justice practices, and comprehensive wellness centers in every high school.
Human capital. I have advocated for a “grow your own” program that encourages our own MCPS graduates to go into teaching and other positions. We can support our graduates with scholarships & offer them a job upon graduation. Support personnel in MCPS should get tuition reimbursement, apprenticeships, and alternative certifications to fill jobs within MCPS. We must have good working conditions/competitive salaries to attract and retain the best talent.
5 – Would you consider supporting changes to electoral process such as open primaries or non-partisan elections in Montgomery County to allow 155,000+ registered Unaffiliated/Independents in Montgomery County to vote locally when it counts?
Yes, I am supportive.
Questions & Responses (BOE)
1 – What will you do to ensure MCPS is accountable to the BOE for decisions, contracts, and spending?
I support having a robust performance evaluation plan for the superintendent where she is held accountable for the most important priorities of our school system. The Board must clearly communicate priorities and expectations. I support return on investment and budget transparency. We must have evidence that the initiative/program is working.
2 – Would you ever consider going fully virtual again given the costs seen in hindsight (increased mental health issues, lowered test scores, and increased violence)?
No. With the advances we have made with vaccines, mitigation measures, and overall knowledge of the virus, the school system does not need to go fully virtual system-wide.
3 – Do you support the shift from balanced literacy to structured literacy/science of reading?
Yes, structured literacy will help our struggling learners as well as students with special needs. It explicitly and effectively addresses foundational literacy skills, which is much needed for students with dyslexia as well as struggling learners.
4 – What is your plan for continued recovery from learning loss and proficiency issues related to covid and virtual?
We need our students in the classroom every day of the school year so they receive high quality first instruction. In addition, students must have access to additional in-school supports from their teachers and take advantage of afterschool tutoring. Summer school must be prioritized for students that need more support, to retake classes, and to fill in gaps so they are truly ready to advance to the next grade.
5 – What do you think MCPS should do to deal with staffing issues, subs, and make MCPS a place that people seek out for employment again?
We must increase salaries as has been outlined in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and elevate the education field in general. MCPS has a great benefits package which must be better publicized. I support offering some substitutes more permanent positions and rotate them in a cluster so they can have reliable employment, be readily available to sub, and so they know the school communities where they will be working. I have advocated for a “grow-your-own” program which will launch this spring, to encourage and support our own MCPS graduates to study education and related fields, get employed with MCPS during the summer, and have a job offer upon graduation. Finally, staff wellness has to be elevated significantly and quality of life issues must be addressed. Staff must feel valued, appreciated, and effectively supported by supervisors and central office.
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