Jean A. Hayhurst
Running for school board in Caroline County District 3
Email: jannhayhurst@yahoo.com
Facebook: facebook.com/jean.hayhurst.1/
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
66
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Retired
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Masters' of education, curriculum and instruction with concentration in biology. Frostburg State University, 1998.
Why are you running for the school board?
I want to use my 35 years' experience in the school system to ultimately help the students of this county. That of course includes supporting parents, teachers, administrators and support staff. All of these folks need to be successful in order for our students be successful in a very competitive world. I have been a resident for 28 years in Federalsburg, Maryland, and I am a retired science teacher. I have time and skills I would like to give back to this community that I love and want to serve.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I was raised in Garrett County, Maryland, and have lived in Caroline County since 1998. I am a Marylander. I have experience in multiple school systems. Starting in a K-12 school system in Missouri, I was the entire high school science department, five years in Garrett County, my alma mater Southern Garrett High Scool, nine years in Talbot County at Easton High School and 15 years in Falls Church, Virginia at Marshall High School. My diverse educational experience, my ability to write grants to supplement needs for students in the county and my desire to serve my community make me a very good candidate for the Caroline County Board of Education.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Money. Fifty-five percent of students in Caroline County qualify for free and reduced-price school meals. The director of food services wrote a state grant that pays for all students in the county to have breakfast and lunch every day and a take home bag for the weekend if desired. The U.S. Department of Education has cut a lot of funding that previously came to the states. The Maryland state budget is dismal, but there are grant monies available. If elected, I would use my grant writing skills to access as much funding as possible from both the state and federal levels to first and foremost provide MiFi's or whatever device is necessary for all students in Caroline County to have internet access throughout the school year.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Harriet Tubman. She was the definition of resilience. Her unfailing faith and fortitude brought so many out of slavery. Then, she worked for the Union Army during the Civil War and after the war continued to advocate for civil rights and women's suffrage. Her courage, resistance and humanitarianism in the face of injustice are incredibly inspiring.
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.
If you want an educated population, like everything else, it costs money. The Blueprint is a beautiful thing on paper (I paraphrase), with pillars for early childhood education at no cost, a $60,000 minimum salary for new teachers, college and career readiness, more resources for all students and accountability of implementation. Pillars one, two, three and four have a huge price tag attached to them. I would hope that if the state wants this Blueprint implemented well, they will focus on paying for numbers one through four and not focusing on number five and breathing down administrator's necks to provide evidence of implementation. Administrators have more important things to do.
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?
I am not aware of an absentee issue in Caroline County schools. If there is an issue brought to the table, my first question would be: "Why are they absent?" This could range from transportation, to taking care of family members, to working and more. First, you have to find out why and then address the how to remedy. Solutions could be providing transportation, communication and classes after hours, depending on the circumstances and what resources are available.
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?
Yes. I am grateful that there is a policy in place that supports student/teacher privacy issues but encourages use to promote student success in the rapidly changing technology arena.
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 retired in 2022. I did my best to teach chemistry to students via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. I also saw the aftermath on many levels. Additionally, the social stresses on students today with the advent of social media is enormous. This issue also comes down to funding. I am certain grants are available to provide funding for programs targeted to support student mental health, possibly in a teacher mentoring or student advocacy program, or many other capacities.
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?
As a science teacher, department chair and chemistry team lead, in all of these roles my judgement about appropriate material for students was never questioned. With the advent of videos and other media, more scrutiny was implemented. Unless something specific is brought to my attention, I will trust the judgement of the educators and media specialists employed.
