Local News Network Election Guide 2024

Kate Taylor Logan

Running for school board in Talbot County District 7

How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?

Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?

Yes, manager and captain, Oxford-Bellevue Ferry

What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?

Master's degree(s) in strategic public relations from The George Washington University, 2025; Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, 2017

Why are you running for the school board?

I am running for the Talbot County Board of Education because I believe public education is one of the most important investments we make in our children and in the future of our community.

As a parent of children in Talbot County Public Schools, I see both the tremendous work happening in our classrooms and the challenges facing our students and educators. Our schools are being asked to prepare children for a world changing faster than ever, while teachers and support professionals are being asked to do more with increasingly complex demands. They deserve leadership that listens to them, values their expertise and ensures they have the resources, compensation and support necessary to do their jobs well.

My own path was not traditional. I struggled in high school, served in the Army, began my higher education at community college and ultimately earned multiple graduate degrees. I have worked with my hands, served in government and public affairs, led teams and worked in our local maritime community. Those experiences taught me that there is no single definition of success and no single pathway for every student.

I am running to help build a school system where educators want to stay, families trust and engage with their schools and every student can find a pathway that prepares them for a meaningful and successful future

What makes you a good candidate for the board?

I bring a combination of public service, leadership, communications experience and lived experience that I believe would serve the Board of Education well.

Throughout my career, I have worked in local, state and federal government, led teams and public-facing initiatives, managed complex communications and worked with diverse stakeholders to solve problems. My military service also taught me the importance of accountability, preparation, teamwork and remaining focused on the mission even when people bring different perspectives to the table.

I also understand that effective school board leadership requires listening. Board members should ask thoughtful questions, seek input from the educators and professionals closest to the work, examine the data and make responsible decisions with students at the center.

As a current Talbot County Public Schools parent, I have a direct connection to our schools and a long-term investment in their success. I also bring a perspective shaped by a nontraditional educational and professional journey. I understand that students have different strengths, challenges and definitions of success.

Most importantly, I am willing to do the work. I will come prepared, communicate openly, collaborate respectfully and advocate for the resources our educators and students need. I believe strong governance requires both accountability and partnership, and I would bring both to the board.

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 board is ensuring that every student leaves Talbot County Public Schools prepared for what comes next. Academic achievement is central to that goal, but success cannot be measured by a single test score or defined by one pathway.

Our students should graduate with strong foundational skills, critical thinking abilities and meaningful options, whether they pursue a four-year university, community college, military service, an apprenticeship, skilled trade or enter the workforce. Achieving that requires excellent teachers, rigorous and relevant curriculum, early intervention when students fall behind and expanded career and technical and experiential learning opportunities.

If elected, I would focus on using data to identify where students are struggling while listening closely to the educators who understand what is happening in their classrooms. I would advocate for competitive compensation and resources that help us recruit and retain exceptional teachers, while ensuring they have the instructional support and professional development necessary to succeed.

I would also strengthen partnerships with families, Chesapeake College, local employers, trades and community organizations so students can see tangible connections between what they learn and their futures.

Our goal should not simply be producing better statistics. It should be graduating capable, curious, adaptable young people who have the skills and confidence to build successful lives.

Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.

I admire Sen. Tammy Duckworth for her commitment to service, resilience and willingness to use her lived experiences to advocate for others. As a fellow Iraq War veteran, I particularly respect that her public service did not end when her military service did. After being severely wounded in Iraq, she became an advocate for fellow veterans, went on to serve at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and ultimately continued that work in elected office.

What resonates with me most is the idea that leadership is not defined by having an easy or conventional path. It is about taking what you have learned through service, adversity and experience and using it to improve the lives of others.

I also respect her advocacy for public education, working families, veterans and expanded pathways to higher education and workforce training. Her career demonstrates that public service can take many forms, but its purpose should remain the same: serving people.

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 support the goals of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, particularly its investment in educators, early childhood education, college and career readiness and additional resources for students who face barriers to success. These are investments Maryland needed to make, and I believe Talbot County should continue working toward their successful implementation.

We are already seeing meaningful changes locally. Talbot County Public Schools has reached the Blueprint’s $60,000 minimum starting salary for teachers and has expanded initiatives including community schools, dual enrollment, career pathways for educators and additional supports for English learners and students with greater needs. At the same time, I recognize that implementation has created significant financial and administrative challenges for local districts.

My approach would be to preserve the Blueprint’s core objectives while listening closely to the educators and administrators responsible for implementing them. We should identify unnecessary administrative burdens, advocate at the state level when requirements are underfunded or impractical and ensure that compliance does not become more important than outcomes.

Ultimately, the measure of the Blueprint’s success should not simply be whether we checked every required box. It should be whether teachers are better supported and students are better prepared for college, careers and life.

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 deserves attention because consistent attendance matters academically and socially. However, I believe we need to understand why a student is missing school before assuming the solution is enforcement.

Families face illness, mental health challenges, transportation issues, family circumstances and other barriers that cannot always be captured by an attendance number. Parents also need reasonable discretion to determine when a child is well enough to attend school.

The board should focus on identifying patterns and removing barriers, while ensuring students who legitimately miss school have meaningful opportunities to stay connected academically. That means strong communication among families, teachers, counselors and administrators; early intervention when concerning patterns emerge and accessible options for making up missed instruction.

Our goal should not simply be improving an attendance statistic. It should be keeping students engaged in their education while treating families with compassion and recognizing that their circumstances are not all the same.

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?

AI presents both tremendous opportunities and legitimate concerns for education. I support a balanced approach that protects foundational learning and limits unnecessary screen time while recognizing that students must understand emerging technologies to be prepared for college and a rapidly changing workforce.

A strong AI policy should establish clear expectations around academic integrity, plagiarism, privacy and when AI use is appropriate. Just as importantly, we must invest in training for educators. Teachers should have the knowledge and resources to understand these tools, recognize inappropriate use and determine when AI can meaningfully enhance instruction rather than replace critical thinking, writing, creativity or human interaction.

Because this technology is evolving so quickly, I do not believe any AI policy should be considered finished. The board should regularly review its effectiveness with input from educators, students and families and adapt as the technology and evidence 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?

Talbot County Public Schools has made important investments in student mental health, including counselors, social workers, dedicated mental health staff and partnerships with community providers. However, we must continually evaluate whether those resources are keeping pace with student needs.

The board should monitor staff caseloads, access to services and whether students across all schools can receive timely support. We should also strengthen partnerships with local mental health providers when needs exceed what schools can reasonably provide.

Early intervention is equally important. Teachers and school staff are often the first to recognize when a student is struggling, so they need training and clear pathways for connecting students with appropriate resources.

Schools cannot solve the youth mental health crisis alone, but they can create an environment where students feel seen, supported and connected to help before a problem becomes a crisis.

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?

I strongly oppose book banning. Access to education, information and diverse perspectives is fundamental to learning, and students should have the freedom to explore ideas, history, cultures and experiences beyond their own.

That does not mean every book is appropriate for every age or school library. Materials should be selected by qualified educators and library media professionals using established standards for age, educational value and relevance. If a parent or community member raises a concern, it should be addressed through a transparent, consistent review process that considers the work as a whole, rather than removing a book because an individual disagrees with its viewpoint or finds a particular passage controversial.

Parents should absolutely have a voice in what their own children read. However, one family’s choice should not determine what information is available to every other student. Those decisions should remain grounded in professional standards, established policy and intellectual freedom.