Gene Malone
Running for school board in Wicomico County District 2
Email: crushcoach95@comcast.net
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
69
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Yes, I am the vice president/regional commercial lender at First Shore Federal
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
B.S. in business, Salisbury State College
Why are you running for the school board?
I am seeking a third term because while we have made progress in many areas, there is still more work to be done in the area of academic achievement and discipline of students.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have been on this board for 10 years and now have the experience to lead us in the above referenced work.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Improving our reading and math proficiency. We will continue to monitor our progress and hire teachers who will push us forward.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Ronald Reagan. He had a great sense of humor, was honest with the people and seemed to have a plan for leading our country.
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.
The goal of the Blueprint is admirable. But it is questionable if the huge funding needed to fully implement it is worth it. Only time will tell.
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?
It is not a huge problem. In fact we have dramatically improved our rate in the last four years.
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?
Too early to say at this point.
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?
Maybe. I question whether you can ever have enough resources to adequately deal with the many mental health issues of today’s youth.
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?
No. Parents should make the decision if their child should have access to certain books. It is not our decision. We have a policy in place that allows that. Parents may also appeal to the board and ask that the book be removed.
