Marsha B. Herbert
Running for school board in Carroll County
Email: marshabherbert@hotmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HerbertforCommissioner/
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
74
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Owner of Country Hill Horse Farm
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Master's equivalent, Western Maryland College
Why are you running for the school board?
I was on the Carroll County Board of Education for two terms. I sat out for two years required by law. I have a great deal more work to complete.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have been on the Carroll County and Board of Education for two terms. I held the office of president for three years and vice president two years. I have the most experience of any other candidate. I was an educator in Carroll County for over 40 years.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Funding and the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, and to continue having an open dialogue with the Carroll County dommissioners and our state delegation, our funding source.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Cynthia McCabe, superintendent of Carroll County Schools. McCabe is a natural leader, thinks out of the box and sets a great example for all to follow.
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.
Carroll County Public Schools was able to obtain a state waiver for two years. Superintendent McCabe and Delegate Joshua Stonko worked diligently to obtain the only waiver in the state. This will allow the county to not transfer as many educators from one school to another. The waiver will also help the school system to not increase class size.
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?
Carroll County does not have an absenteeism problem.
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?
Carroll County is just testing the water. This is not an end-all for educators as well as students.
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?
Youth mental health is a big issue. The school system can always ask for more funds to hire more personnel. The board could hire more counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists and behavioral specialists.
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?
Yes, books need to be age-appropriate.
