She is one of six people running for two open seats on the school board.
Jaime Kiersten Brennan
FREDERICK, MD (KM) There are six candidates running for three open seats on the Frederick County Board of Education, one of whom is Jamie Brennan.
She talked about why she runs during a recent appearance on WFMD’s Morning News Express. “I felt like our school was at a tipping point,” Brennan said. “Our academics are terrible. Our kids aren’t doing well. They’re not doing well. They’re not ready for the workforce.”
And Brennan says she’s seen it as a board member of Frederick Classical Charter School. “I’ve worked extensively with public schools, and I’ve seen their dysfunction. I’ve seen them try in some way to sabotage what’s working well, and overall. “We felt like this county needed a change of direction,” Brennan said.
She talked about policy 443 in the school system. The policy states that public schools must welcome and affirm transgender and gender nonconforming students. Brennan strongly disagrees. “This allows the school system to keep it a secret from parents if their child requests to use a different identity or pronouns at school,” she says.
Policy 443 states that school staff are authorized to work with these students to provide options that support their needs. Students can also involve their families if they wish.
“This system basically gives school districts the power to refer these children, these minors, to outside services, and basically allows for a social transition for the child in school,” Brennan said. says.
The policy also allows students to participate in school sports and physical education classes in a manner consistent with their gender identity. Additionally, the policy allows students to use restrooms, locker rooms, and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity.
The policy states that if a student is uncomfortable using single-sex facilities, whether gender-conforming or non-conforming, accommodations are available. This may include things like privacy curtains, separate restrooms, office restrooms, or separate changing schedules. .
On another topic, Brennan said he supports career advancement and technology programs for interested students. She noted that the Career and Technology Center cannot expand at its current location on Oppossum Tuen Pike and suggested moving some of the programs to other high schools. “Part of the problem is the great Career & Technology Center. It has so many career options. But not every career option requires an HVAC shop or a welding {shop}. Regular classroom You can do it in one, or you can rent another building to do it,” Brennan said.
She also said the school system needs to develop partnerships with local businesses that may employ these students after graduation. “We don’t have any external partnerships. We kind of work in silos. School boards don’t want to engage with these external partners. So we’re looking at that. I think we need to,” she says.
Brennan also said not everyone who wants to attend the Career and Technology Center will be able to do so. “We’re actually turning away kids who aren’t necessarily doing well in regular classes or who have attendance issues,” she says. “In those classes, it’s actually the kids who need it the most, because what they’re telling us is that the traditional model they’re receiving in our classrooms isn’t working for them. option, because you probably need a more practical model. “
She said most of these students will actively participate in career and technology programs. “They may excel in areas that involve working with their hands or requiring them to think on the fly,” Brennan says. “Then they can apply the math they hate learning how to do to actually doing something functional, and now it makes sense to them.”
The other five candidates for the school board are Colt Morningstar Black, Josh Boakye, Veronica Rowe, Janice Monnier and Chad Wilson.
Voting day for the general election is Tuesday, November 5th. Early voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day this week through Thursday, October 31st.
Written by Kevin McManus
