School board on ballot for first time

This year's election is a historic one for Anne Arundel voters because for the first time under a new system they will weigh in on their local school board.

"It will be interesting to see how the citizens respond to this opportunity that's been given them and how they exercise that opportunity," said Bob Burdon, president and chief executive officer of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce.

Voters will see two questions on the ballot, asking whether they want newly appointed members Tricia Johnson and Teresa Milio Birge to continue in office.

The school board uses about half of the county budget each year, and while it does not have taxing authority - as boards in many other states do - it is responsible for running the public schools. That means a budget of nearly $1 billion and oversight of 119 schools that serve about 73,000 students.

Legislators debated for years over whether to move Anne Arundel to an elected school board, but instead, they created an unprecedented system modeled on the selection process for judges. In the spring, a new commission nominated candidates to Gov. Martin O'Malley, who appointed Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Birge. If the public votes them down, the commission will nominate another round of candidates.

"It's been spoken of as a hybrid," said Pat Foerster, the governor's education policy adviser. "You get the benefit of both processes."

Still, "Ultimately it's the public, the citizens of this county, that decide whether the individuals will continue to serve," said Mr. Burdon, who advocated for the new system.

But if the history of retention votes for judges is any measure, both school board members will likely be approved by voters without much thought, said Dan Nataf, a political scientist at Anne Arundel Community College and director of the Center for the Study of Local Issues.

The candidates didn't campaign, and so there was no public debate to help voters make their decisions, he said.

"In an uncontested vote," Mr. Nataf said. "It almost never results in the person not being retained. It's almost like a placebo. It's making people feel like they have a say."

Ms. Birge, an accountant from Odenton with two young children, one at Seven Oaks Elementary School, started her first term in the District 32 seat July 1. She previously worked as a legislative analyst and does minor political lobbying for the Maryland Association of Senior Centers.

She said her top priority on the school board is the $1.5 billion construction backlog facing Anne Arundel schools.

"I realize there's a shortage of funds," she said. "It's a problem and ignoring it is not the answer."

Second and third on Ms. Birge's list are retaining quality teachers - which she said can be done by allowing them greater autonomy and the freedom to use creativity in the classroom - and bolstering programs for students who aren't planning to go to college, like the Centers of Applied Technology.

Mrs. Johnson, who holds an at-large seat, was appointed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in 2003 and works as director of membership, events and marketing at the Lake Presidential Golf Club in Upper Marlboro. She lives in Davidsonville and her five children attended South River High School - her youngest is a senior this year.

She said she's proud of the direction county schools have been headed since she arrived on the board, citing improvements in special education and popular courses for both high-achieving and middle-of-the-road students.

She also noted the board has lowered costs for school construction, saving millions of dollars.

But her first term also was marked by some difficulties. The school board ousted Superintendent Eric J. Smith in 2006 largely because members felt he wasn't communicating with them. Student grades have hardly improved, with about a third of ninth graders having had a D average or below for the past 10 years. And under the superintendent Mrs. Johnson helped hire, Kevin M. Maxwell, the schools have twice locked horns with County Executive John R. Leopold over funding issues.

Mrs. Johnson said in her second term she wants to see further progress toward closing the achievement gap between white and minority students, and more active communication with parents and school staff.

She also said she's heard some voters want to use the retention vote to comment on the new selection process for school board members, but she's hoping that won't happen.

"The two messages are mixed up a little," Mrs. Johnson said. "Hopefully they'll vote on the merits of whether I'm doing a good job."

The applications Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Birge submitted to the School Board Nominating Commission last spring are online at www.aacps.org/sbnc, under "Candidates."