2024 BOE Finalist Candidate Questionnaire – Laura Stewart (District 4)

October 23, 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 Laura Stewart who is running for District 4 (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?

I am for reinstating final semester exams for some high school classes and would ask MCPS to benchmark other school districts to see what worked best. When MCPS graduates go to college, they should have practice studying and taking final semester exams.

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

No

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)?

Yes

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

No

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?

I am for the CEO model, with officers assigned to coordinate with each school.

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

No

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?

There should be a much more generous COSA program, but the rules would need to be defined.

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

Yes

Only if the budget lays out exactly why and where the money is needed in a transparent line-item budget.

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?

I am in favor of a full-time board and I will treat the job as such. The pay structure should absolutely be a livable wage, but I am open to looking at options other than parity to County Councilmembers.

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

Yes

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

Yes

I am for a ban for ES and MS, and during class time for high school unless the teacher uses it for instruction (like for measuring during a physics science experiment.)

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? 

Yes

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

I am in favor of studying the efficacy of weapon detectors and other technology like panic buttons that have been installed in other districts.

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

As the state-wide PTA VP for Advocacy, I testified for this shift.

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

I will follow the current policy which considers all the above.

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

Explanations have been put in line based upon responses.

Website and Endorsements

Learn more about Laura Stewart on her website here or check out her list of endorsements here.

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