Aaron Boyle
Running for school board in Harford County District E
Email: SchoolMattersAberdeen@gmail.com
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
42
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Geographer
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Some college (120+ credits), small engine mechanic, Army training
Why are you running for the school board?
I've enjoyed the self-proclaimed title of "greatest advocate" for my daughter, was nominated volunteer of the year in 2024 as part of a lifetime of community and military service and I've watched as others in community give back in so many inspirational ways. I'd like to bring my desire to work as a team, solve problems and represent my community to the school board.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
First, I value and cherish Harford County's beautiful diversity and variety of perspectives. Second, I'm a veteran, a life-long service volunteer, advocate for those in my life and life-long traveler. I seek other people's perspectives and find culture stories stories without judgment, while recognizing my own biases. Finally, I am an imperfect team player always seeking self-improvement, a problem solver, have international perspective and have a lot of non-traditional educational experience giving me unique perspectives for a complex educational system.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
There are a number of significant challenges faced by the board, including budget, school district boundaries and promoting positive culture for our county’s schools. More specifically, I'd like to put time and effort into a budget roadmap--a five-year outlook supporting a more competitive compensation package for teachers and a detailed look into facilities. This roadmap will provide the school board, county leadership and community more transparency into the budget process. Other issues will likely include addressing population changes and curriculum changes. Finally, I'd like to promote cultural improvement and community involvement by improving communication with and opening schools to our community at large.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire Monica Graham at Bakerfield Elementary. While there are so many admirable leaders out there, Graham and other school community coordinators regularly work with families, community leaders and businesses to bring resources to those who need them the most.
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 Blueprint provides an architecture around which to build. In some cases, the Blueprint provides a sad, but necessary minimum--teacher's wages, for example. Overall, and with the superintendent's/Harford County’s parallel roadmap, I believe it a generally positive thing. While it does introduce more beauracracy, it establishes safety nets and funding resources. Finally, there are feedback mechanisms in place for negotiation and revision, as necessary.
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 is a problem within my district, and a big one. The school district can further define "why" it's a problem, discuss and establish solutions with the superintendent, support through policy and aim to improve community resources as needed.
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?
Changes at the board level are regularly changing and filtering to schools as more research is known. Generally, I support and appreciate the board's responsiveness to changes in guidance regarding technology. Overall, all technologies are tools with their place and purpose. They should ultimately support, supplement and not replace well-established and proven techniques.
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?
In a few words, no I don't think the school district is adequately trained or resourced. While improving over the last few years, support for kids with disabilities, modern training and curriculum implementation has been slow moving. I would like to explore the military school system methods/resourcing and discuss with experts within Maryland and our the community with the intent of improving overall support for mental health and disability 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?
In a word: no. Our educators, including librarians and teachers, are highly educated professionals who have earned our trust. The larger, underlying issue is a cultural one--an issue that needs to be addressed more directly.
