Joseph L. Alton, Jr.
Running for school board in Harford County District F
Email: joealtonforboardofeducation@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/joealtonforhcpsboardofeducation
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
54
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
I currently serve as the deputy chief of police for the Havre de Grace Police Department.
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
I have an A.A. degree in business management, and a graduate certificate in executive leadership
Why are you running for the school board?
I am seeking a position on the Board of Education to serve as a voice for the community when making decisions that best serve our students, staff and families. Harford County Public School students represent our future and we have an obligation to provide them with a safe and supportive environment that sets them up for success.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
My experience exhibits several qualifications that I believe will be an asset to the board. These include the following: a. Budget management b. Resource allocation and acquisition c. Personnel supervision and management d. Thorough understanding and vetting of proper safety and security principles and practices e. Prior and current Board of Director positions
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Funding that allows the district to recruit and retain high quality educators and staff members, and resources that meet the unique academic needs of all students, as well as ensure they are safe and secure in every school building. Additionally, the board should prioritize working cooperatively with parents and guardians, considering varying points of view to reach a consensus when making decisions that directly impact students.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
On May 30, 1982, Cal Ripken Jr. was 21 years old and played in the first game that would begin the longest consecutive games played in Major League Baseball. Throughout the streak he was regarded as one of the best in the game, but not just because of his high level skillset, but also because of his strong work ethic and desire to do things right. During the celebration of the official record setting game he was asked how he wished to be remembered once his career ends. His response was "to be remembered at all is pretty special. I might also add, that if I am remembered, I hope its because by living my dream, I was able to make a difference." These closing words are why I believe Ripken is an admirable leader that we can all look up to. Back to his beginning days of playing baseball he knew in order to succeed he had to do things right, follow the rules and show up when your needed. by following these simple practices we all can make a positive impact regardless of what profession we pursue.
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 for Maryland's Future has established a minimum base salary for teachers throughout the state. This is a good start, but if we plan to recruit and retain the best educators, we must maintain a budget that provides competitive salaries when compared to our surrounding counties.
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 has been a growing concern, and thankfully a topic that Harford County has shown recent improvements. To continue building upon these improvements the next Board of Education will need to thoroughly evaluate the processes utilized to show this success. Additionally its important to remember that many issues like absenteeism often begin at home. To this point the board will need to continue utilizing the best resources available to reach all parents/guardians and support a system wide effort to not only make parents/guardians aware of the problem, but also aware of how to obtain the appropriate tools necessary to assist with getting the children back into the classrooms.
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?
As drafted, I do believe the current AI policy outlines the appropriate areas of content that need to be monitored for a students uses of AI, and provides guidance measures for enforcement. The important thing to remember is AI technology is advancing faster than ever and the school system needs to ensure not only tech support personnel have the right tools to keep up, but also our policy stays in line with this ever changing world.
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?
Harford County Public Schools has a robust mental health team in place to provide the best care as possible. This collaborative effort involves school counselors, social workers and psychologists. Additionally, the school system maintains partnerships with various outside entities like Care Solace, to assist with providing services as needed. Also easily located on the main website is a link to the Harford County Public Schools Mental Health Zone. Provided on this page are several links to available resources to assist in providing mental health care. Obviously a topic of this nature is incredibly important and warrants the need to continue providing appropriate funding to maintain an adequate level of staffing 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?
Blanket book bans are unacceptable. However, this does not mean all books are acceptable for every age and grade level. The Board of Education established the Library Materials Reconsideration Committee, a group comprised of educators, parents and concerned community members. The committee is tasked with carefully reviewing materials and coming to a consensus about the appropriateness of reading materials and at which grade level they should be available to students. Given that the Board of Education created this committee their recommendations should be honored. Additionally, it is my understanding parents/guardians may limit the materials their student(s) borrow from school libraries by communicating this desire to school staff members.
