Zeke Falcon
Running for school board in Kent County
Email: schoolboardzeke@gmail.com
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
41
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
I am a researcher at University of Maryland
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Dual master's degrees from Brandeis University.
Why are you running for the school board?
I've been an educator for eight years and having taught middle school, high School and now an adjunct at Chesapeake College I would like to bring my knowledge of the classroom to the Board of Education. I also have a school age child in Kent , so I've got skin in the game.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have years of experience in the classroom and in a former career was a teacher's union president, so advocating for teachers and scholars is something I take great pride in doing.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Our teachers are great. We need two things to build upon our success: better communication with our families and community to discuss the successes we're having and teacher coaches. The latter will improve rigor in the classroom and work as subject matter experts advancing our amazing teachers and taking our schools to the next level.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Mr. Fred Rogers. He understood that children need to feel valued, supported, and safe to learn. His example reminds us that education is not just about academic outcomes; it is about helping children develop the confidence and character to thrive. Also, he made cardigans cool.
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.
I support the Blueprint’s central goal: ensuring every Maryland student has access to a high-quality education, regardless of family income or ZIP code. Investments in early childhood education, teacher recruitment and retention, and college and career readiness are important. As a former teacher, I know that strong schools depend on qualified, supported educators and students who master foundational skills.
However, implementation must be measured by results, not compliance. Education is about flexibility and policies around it should reflect that fact. Maryland has seen modest statewide improvements in English language arts and mathematics proficiency, but significant challenges remain. We should continue examining which investments produce gains in student learning and which administrative requirements divert time and resources from classrooms.
In Kent County, we must consider the realities of a small, rural school system. Funding formulas, staffing requirements, and implementation timelines should account for local enrollment, workforce availability, and the district’s capacity to meet new mandates. Every dollar should be spent responsibly, with transparency, and clear accountability for outcomes.
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 serious concern in Kent County. State data show that 33.1% of Kent County students were chronically absent in 2024–25. More recently, the district reported an encouraging increase in overall attendance to 94.1% in 2025–26. We should recognize that progress while continuing to address chronic absence. I would support early outreach to families, stronger partnerships with community organizations, and targeted support for students at risk of falling behind. We should evaluate these efforts regularly and share results publicly.
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 opposed to AI in the younger classes. AI is a reality that isn't going away but our scholars need to build critical thinking skills before they are thrown such a powerful tool. Once they are able to manage it they should be taught its uses in a more mature and structured way. A calculator can help you solve a problem. It can also prevent you from learning arithmetic if you use it too soon.
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?
Kent is doing a lot to address mental health and I'm proud of the work they've done. As a board member I would like to see if we can measure our successes and build upon what's working.
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?
Decisions should follow district policy and involve qualified educators, librarians and administrators, with meaningful input from parents and the community. Decisions should be based on the book’s content and educational context, not political pressure. Parents should be able to guide their own children’s reading, but no single parent should determine what every other student may access.
