Dr. Candice Logan-Washington
Running for school board in Baltimore County District 1
Email: candice4district1families@gmail.com
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
45
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Caretaker, mom and consultant
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Doctor of education in urban educational leadership and social policy, Morgan State University.
Why are you running for the school board?
I am running for the Baltimore County Board of Education because I believe every student deserves to attend a school where they are supported, challenged, safe and prepared for their future.
This is deeply personal for me. I am a graduate of District 1 schools, a former District 1 teacher, the parent of two District 1 graduates and an educator who has spent nearly two decades working with students, teachers, families and school leaders. I know firsthand the difference a strong public education can make in a young person’s life.
I am running because I want to bring my experience in teaching, special education, educational leadership, research and organizational effectiveness to the board. I want us to invest in and support our teachers and staff, provide rigorous and meaningful opportunities for every student, strengthen special education and early intervention, expand college and career pathways and make sure our resources are producing real results for children.
I also believe families and communities deserve transparency, accountability and a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their schools.
Ultimately, I am running because our children deserve leadership that keeps them at the center of every decision. I want every student supported, every student challenged and every student prepared to succeed.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
What makes me a strong candidate for the Board of Education is that I bring both professional expertise and a deeply personal connection to District 1.
I am homegrown. I graduated from Lansdowne High School, taught at Woodlawn High School, worked throughout Baltimore County Public Schools, raised my family here and I am the parent of two District 1 graduates. I have lived in Baltimore County as a student, educator, parent and resident, so I understand our schools from multiple perspectives.
Professionally, I bring nearly two decades of experience in education, including classroom teaching, special education, district leadership, research, evaluation, organizational effectiveness and higher education. I understand what happens in the classroom, but I also understand how decisions about policy, budgets, programs, staffing and accountability affect what ultimately happens for students.
What distinguishes me is that I don't have to learn District 1 from the outside. This community helped shape me. I know its strengths, I understand many of its challenges and I have a personal stake in seeing our schools and neighborhoods thrive.
I am prepared to bring experience, accountability, collaboration and a student-centered perspective to the board while never losing sight of who we serve.
I am homegrown, experienced and invested—and I am ready to work for every student and every family in District 1.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
The most important issue facing our school board is ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality education that supports their individual needs, challenges them academically and prepares them for what comes next.
That starts with supporting our teachers and staff. We cannot improve student outcomes without investing in the people doing the work every day. I would advocate for competitive compensation, meaningful professional development, appropriate resources and innovative approaches to reducing class sizes so teachers have greater capacity to know, support and challenge each student.
We also have to ensure that our students are learning through strong, rigorous, research-based curriculum that provides multiple pathways for acceleration and growth. That includes advanced coursework, dual enrollment, early college opportunities, career and technical education, apprenticeships, strong special education supports and targeted interventions for students who need additional help.
At the same time, we must be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. I believe in greater budget transparency so families, educators and the community can clearly understand where our resources are going and why. We should evaluate the effectiveness of our programs and investments to ensure we are spending for impact—not simply continuing initiatives because they have always been funded. Our budget should reflect our priorities, and we should be able to demonstrate how those investments are improving outcomes for students.
But before making decisions, I believe we must listen first. I want to hear directly from students, families, educators, school leaders and communities about what is working, where the gaps are and what they need from their school system. Good governance begins with listening and then using data, research, community voice and measurable outcomes to make responsible decisions.
My approach comes back to the three commitments at the heart of my campaign: **Every Student Supported. Every Student Challenged. Every Student Prepared.**
If elected, I will work to ensure those commitments are reflected in our classrooms, our policies and our budget, because every dollar we spend and every decision we make should ultimately have a positive impact on students.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Gloria Ford Gilmer. Gilmer was an influential Black mathematician and educator who lived in Catonsville. Her scholarship helped advance ethnomathematics, including research into the mathematics found in African American cultural practices, such as hair braiding. Her papers were later acquired by the Library of Congress.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, passed by the General Assembly in 2021, is a 10-year plan that includes increased funding to support early childhood education, higher teacher starting pay, college/career-readiness standards for high school graduates, and expanded services to multilingual and impoverished families, among other goals. Since the Blueprint's implementation, test scores have increased modestly in many parts of the state, but some school officials complain about the costs and administrative burdens placed on them by the Blueprint. Please tell us your views on the Blueprint and how it is affecting your school district.
I believe the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future has the potential to strengthen public education by expanding early childhood education, investing in teachers, increasing college and career readiness and providing additional support for students and families with greater needs. In Baltimore County, our community school models demonstrate how coordinated academic, health, family, and community supports can help address barriers that affect student success.
At the same time, successful implementation requires more than increased funding. We must continually evaluate whether programs and investments are producing meaningful outcomes for students. I support greater budget transparency and believe we should be able to demonstrate that we are spending for impact, while also recognizing and addressing the administrative and financial pressures implementation can place on school systems.
The Blueprint also aligns with my commitment to ensuring that every student is supported, challenged and prepared. That means supporting and retaining excellent teachers, exploring innovative strategies to reduce class sizes, providing a rigorous and research-based curriculum, strengthening early intervention and expanding multiple pathways for student acceleration and growth, including advanced coursework, dual enrollment, early college, career and technical education, apprenticeships and industry credentials.
As a board member, I would listen first — to educators, students, families and school leaders — and use their experiences, along with data and research, to determine what is working, what needs adjustment and where our resources can have the greatest impact on students.
Chronic absenteeism has been a problem in many schools since the Covid-19 pandemic. How big of a problem is absenteeism in your school district, and what if anything can the Board of Education do about it?
Chronic absenteeism remains a serious challenge in Baltimore County Public Schools, even as the district has made progress. The latest finalized state data show that 25.6% of Baltimore County students were chronically absent in 2024–25, down from 28% the prior year. The board should treat attendance as both an accountability and an access issue by prioritizing funding for research-based supports, including early-warning systems, family outreach, transportation assistance, mental-health supports, tutoring and flexible or blended learning options. The community school model is also critical. Community school coordinators can serve as a bridge among schools, families and community partners to identify barriers and connect students with needed resources before absences become chronic. The board should monitor attendance by school and student group and support multiple pathways to keep students connected to meaningful educational opportunities. Our goal should be not only attendance, but engagement, belonging and continued learning.
Are you satisfied with your school district's policy on AI use by students? If so, why? If not, what would you suggest to improve the AI policy?
Not yet. Before expanding AI use, we must first consider students’ overall screen time and device use, including the potential physical, developmental and psychosocial implications of an increasingly digital learning environment. Research points to concerns involving sleep, attention, physical activity, social interaction and student well-being, so these considerations should inform any AI policy.
At the same time, artificial intelligence will shape our students’ futures. Our students should not simply be consumers of AI; they should understand how it works, how to use it responsibly, how to question its output, and how to compete in a world increasingly shaped by it. BCPS needs clear, age-appropriate guidance addressing academic integrity, privacy, bias, misinformation, equitable access, and appropriate instructional use. The board should also ensure professional learning for educators and regularly review the policy as both the technology and research on its impact on children continue to evolve.
Youth mental health has been a growing concern for years now. Do you think your school district has the resources and personnel in place to deal with this issue adequately? If not, what would you suggest to improve the situation?
I believe Balitmore County Public Schools has made important investments in student mental health, but more support is still needed. Our schools should be places where students feel safe, connected, supported and ready to learn. The Board of Education should support strong partnerships with community mental health providers, additional counselors, psychologists and social workers, and better communication among schools, families, teachers and support staff. We should also think more broadly about student wellness by supporting healthy food choices, movement, physical activity, art, music, play and other opportunities that help students manage stress, build relationships and express themselves. Educators should have professional learning that helps them recognize when students need additional support and respond in caring, developmentally appropriate ways. I will advocate for early intervention, equitable access to services and environments that support the academic, social, emotional and physical well-being of every student.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries? If so, what kind of books should be removed, and who should make those decisions?
My perspective is that there may be limited circumstances when a book should be removed or relocated, particularly when material is not developmentally or age-appropriate for the students it serves or does not meet established educational standards. However, those decisions should never be based simply on disagreement with a viewpoint or an effort to eliminate perspectives or erase groups of human beings.
I believe we should trust the trained educators, librarians and other professionals who thoughtfully select instructional and library materials, while also ensuring transparency, community involvement and meaningful family choice. Any challenge should follow a clear, consistent review process. Parents should have the ability to make choices for their own children, including requesting alternatives when appropriate. Our responsibility is to balance intellectual freedom, professional expertise, developmental appropriateness, parental involvement and students’ access to a broad and comprehensive worldview.
