Local News Network Election Guide 2024

Robert S. Wagner

Running for school board in Harford County District E

How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?

Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?

I work for Harford County government as the Southern county task force administrator, in the Community Services Department

What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?

A.A. degree, Harford Community College

Why are you running for the school board?

I have recognized our school board needs level-headed, commonsense people to help bring positive changes. Our county has declining enrollment numbers while the cost of education is steadily rising. Our students deserve the best education we can offer, preparing them for either higher education or the workforce. I believe we can do better than what I have seen. The state dictates much of the framework but we, at the local level, know best what is desired in our community. I'm not afraid to champion some of the changes in an effort to raise the standard of education in Harford County.

What makes you a good candidate for the board?

Since 1990, I have served five terms on the Harford County Council, serving as councilman and council president. I have worked with a variety of numerous school superintendents. I am born and bred Harford County and a product of our public schools, graduating from Bel Air High School in 1975. I have the desire to work to improve our school system and create a more productive environment for our school children.

What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?

I would like to begin with examining the budget and examining where there is wasted dollars and areas where we can do better. Over my 20 years on the Harford County Council, I have reviewed the budget that Harford County Public Schools put in front of us, each and every year. I recognized some of the inflated costs and unnecessary spending. I believe there are many areas that deserve better scrutiny and explanations.

Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Through my years, I have worked with many leaders that I have admired.

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.

There are some things contained in the Blueprint, that are good initiatives. That being said, the cost is being unfairly shifted to the counties. I do not feel the good outweighs the bad, and the Blueprint deserved more examination before implementing.

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?

Our population is diverse and family dynamics can be difficult to navigate, but parents play a big part in the child's success or failure. Accountability on the part of the student and the parent has to be strengthened. Absenteeism should not be taken lightly or ignored. The COVID-19 pandemic is a benchmark, but it is time to move forward and go back to responsibility, accountability and penalties.

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?

Our schools truly need to teach the basics. AI has its uses, but I firmly believe the youth need to have a toolbox full of knowledge that serve them well, without the use of AI. They can supplement their knowledge with AI, but let's not teach in a way that AI is the default.

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 recognize the growing number of problems we have in our schools and recognize the need for more school psychologists, social workers, counselors and others to provide resources for students. I also recognize that all personnel needed to address the issues will be costly. A prioritization of needed resources has to be done. The mental health of our youth is a fast-growing concern in much of the population. I also realize this makes a teacher's job more difficult.

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?

Some of the "questionable" books that ARE in our school libraries should never have been allowed in the first place. For school-aged youth, I don't see the benefit of providing books that qualify as porn by some standards. When books are bought for school libraries, there should be a small team that makes the selection. By that same token, a small team should evaluate the books presently available in the libraries and suggest removal of those that are "undesirable." Parents should be members of the team to help make the decisions.