Cleveland C. Friday
Running for school board in Carroll County
Email: fridayforcarroll@gmail.com
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
54
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Correctional administrator warden with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Bachelor's of science in criminal justice from Coppin State University
Why are you running for the school board?
I am running for the Carroll County Board of Education because I have a vision rooted in strong schools, engaged communities, and a commitment to preparing every student for success. I am running for the Carroll County Board of Education because I believe our children deserve schools that challenge them academically, support them passionately and prepare them for the future. Education is the foundation of a strong community and decisions about our schools must always put students first. I believe in the importance of collaboration among educators, parents, students, and community members. My tenure on the Carroll County Board of Education will focus on supporting teachers, maintaining high academic standards, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and creating safe, all-encompassing learning environments where every student can thrive.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I am a strong advocate for public education and I believe that the Board of Education should balance innovation with tradition, ensuring Carroll County schools remain competitive while honoring the values of the community. I have four wonderful daughter who have been touched by and excelled because of the Carroll County Public School system. They have excellent study habits, amazing determination, the ability to think independently and critically, problem solving skills and the willingness and drive to learn. I have no doubt that these skills were gained and mastered while attending the Carroll County Public School system. I have seen first-hand how a Carroll County Public School education can make our children successful and I want to ensure that this tradition continues.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
The biggest challenge for our school board is handling the heavy financial and operational demands of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future without causing local deficits or classroom layoffs. While the Blueprint has admirable goals, like boosting teacher salaries and expanding career technical programs, it’s a rigid state mandate that strains our county budget and limits local control. If elected, I’ll tackle this rollout in three ways. First by auditing our district’s administrative spending line-by-line to cut bureaucracy and put every dollar toward the classrooms. Second by working with board members statewide to lobby Annapolis for more flexible timelines on complex mandates so we don't lose essential staff just to meet compliance. Lastly, by growing our Career and Technical Education programs through partnerships with local businesses, creating direct paths to high-wage jobs without duplicating costs. Our community deserves someone who will secure every possible dollar, demand accountability in spending, and defend our classrooms’ local autonomy from state overreach.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I really admire former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. During his time in office, he showed how to lead with a practical approach, managing to balance the state budget while also securing record funding for public education. He was all about finding bipartisan solutions instead of getting caught up in political fights, something that’s badly needed on today’s school boards and political landscape. I respect how he listened to different perspectives, stayed committed to fiscal responsibility, and delivered real results for families. His style of leadership is a great example of putting policy ahead of politics to unite a community.
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.
Since the Blueprint's implementation, the costs and administrative burdens placed on the Carroll County Public School system has been difficult. Although Carroll County was able to get a waiver on some portions of the plan, there will still be huge budgetary constraints in the future. In short, the Blueprint is reshaping CCPS’s operations, staffing, and curriculum to meet state standards, with both opportunities for improved student support and challenges in budget, staffing, and curriculum alignment. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a one size fits all approach that does not fit Carroll County Public Schools.
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?
Although chronic absenteeism has been a problem in many schools since the Covid-19 pandemic, Carroll County Public Schools is doing better than the state average. Carroll County’s 2023 attendance rate of 92.8% indicated that roughly 1 in 14 school days were missed across the district. In 2024–25, CCPS presented Maryland report card results showing modest gains in academic performance but also noted ongoing attendance challenges, particularly for certain subgroups. The district has implemented attendance interventions such as home visits for at‑risk students to connect with families and address barriers to attendance. PPW (Parental Participation in Work) support to engage parents in student success. CC Stars program to recognize and reward attendance. Lastly, parent messaging campaigns to raise awareness and encourage consistent attendance. These efforts aim to address barriers to attendance, including health, family, and engagement issues.
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?
I am satisfied with Carroll County Public School's policy on AI use by students. Although our policy mirrors the guidelines that have been implemented by the state of Maryland, I do believe that there is room for improvement. We must establish strict guardrails protecting student data privacy. Our goal shouldn’t just be policing plagiarism, it must be teaching students how to use AI ethically and effectively as a tool, preparing them for the future economy without sacrificing critical thinking.
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?
Carroll County Public Schools has outstanding, dedicated staff doing incredible work to support students, but like many districts across the country, resources are stretched thin due to an unprecedented youth mental health crisis. Counselor and psychologist staffing ratios remain heavily strained, making proactive care challenging.
To address this without placing extra burdens on local taxpayers we should expand partnerships with community-based mental health providers and telehealth networks. This helps bridge gaps for families, eases pressure on school staff and ensures no CCPS student slips through the cracks when they need support.
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?
Sometimes books need to be removed from school libraries, which serve a very different purpose than public libraries. School collections should directly support academic learning and suit the developmental needs of minors. Certain books simply don’t belong in a school library, especially those with excessive vulgarity or explicit sexual content that’s clearly inappropriate for young readers. Just like movies and video games have ratings, schools should uphold strict age-appropriate standards.
Sensitive decisions shouldn’t be made solely by politicians or swayed by political pressure. Instead, they should follow a clear, transparent review process managed by a committee of educators, librarians, and parents. This approach ensures parents can guide their own child’s reading choices without letting any one group control what’s available to all students in the district.
