2024 BOE Finalist Candidate Questionnaire – Brenda Diaz (District 2)

October 14, 2024

We sent the following questionnaire to all 6 BOE finalist candidates and will be posting each of them individually (in the order received) as well as a comparison between them on another page.

These are the responses by Brenda Diaz who is running for District 2 (everyone in the County can vote regardless of district).

Note: Please read to the end as the candidates were given an open-ended text area to explain any yes/no answers or questions they chose not to answer. You can also check out our recent BOE candidate forum or the one we did before the primary for more information.

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Are you in favor of reinstating final exams for all high school classes?

Yes

Are you in favor of using class rank in high schools as a reportable metric?

Yes

Are you in favor of eliminating the 50% rule for grading?

Yes

Are you in favor of implementing an advanced science course track for middle school?

Yes

Are you in favor of revamping the elementary school social studies curriculum to include a comprehensive overview of 20th century history (including Depression, WW2, Holocaust, Cold War, FDR, JFK)?

No

Are you in favor of allowing parents to opt-out of curriculum for religious reasons?

Yes

Are you in favor of keeping schools open and without mask requirements during surges of seasonal illnesses?

Yes

Are you in favor of reinstating the traditional SRO program in high schools, with an officer assigned to each school?

Yes

Are you in favor of implementing merit-based pay increases and bonuses for teachers?

Yes

Are you in favor of an Inspector General-led full audit of MCPS finances?

Yes

Are you in favor of a more widely-available COSA program where students could select a high school where they might feel more comfortable?

No

Are you in favor of county taxpayers funding MCPS over the Maintenance of Effort requirement?

No

Are you in favor of the position of a Board of Education member becoming full-time and then aligning a pay structure similar to County Councilmembers?

Yes

Do you support reinstating the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) until there is a comparable state option?

No Answer

Do you support a cell phone use ban during school time (note that doesn’t mean not being able to have them)

Yes

Are you in favor of publicly posting MCPS MPIA requests and responses?

Yes

Are you in favor of posting school community letters on the school and/or MCPS websites?

Yes

Are you in favor of the policy extending excused absences for student walkouts and/or protests during school hours? 

No

Are you in favor of installing metal detectors and/or bag checks for entry into Middle and/or High Schools?

No

Special Ed: Are you in favor of moving the burden of proof to the school system instead of families? (See opinion piece here for explanation: https://moderatelymoco.com/david-vs-goliath-parents-and-advocates-pitted-against-msea-and-school-districts-in-the-maryland-legislature/)

Yes

Order the following priorities you believe should apply when considering school boundary changes (separate by commas for consistency): utilization, proximity, diversity, stability

proximity, stability, utilization, diversity

You can provide any explanations below for your answers above that you feel are necessary:

In the elementary school years, children should be learning about early US history and civics education in their Social Studies classes. Developing informed and engaged citizens begins with this particular focus in their early, formative years. When our students learn about life during our nation’s colonial era, the heroism required to fight against English tyranny during the American Revolution, and the many years of study needed to write the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, unity can only thrive in our diverse county due to a greater appreciation of our common cultural heritage. There are also many important lessons embedded in our early history about building a strong character, the value of freedom, and the level of individual responsibility it takes to create a unique nation like ours. As with any Social Studies class, a curriculum focused on early US history and civics will also require critical thinking skills, reading about different perspectives, and understanding cause and effect.

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In order for the MVA to be reinstituted, the Board of Education must conduct a thorough review of MCPS’ budget to eliminate waste in the form of redundancies and contracts that do not first serve the interests of building academic excellence in our diverse student body. I also believe the MVA can serve a wider array of students if offered with hours expanded beyond the typical classroom hours. The State of Virginia set the standard for our region for how to build and run a virtual academy. The Board of Education, the Superintendent, and MCPS should meet with VAVA to learn best practices. As we reinstate academic rigor in our schools, we can then focus on ensuring those changes are in place for the new MVA.

Website

Learn more about Brenda Diaz on her website.

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