Dr. Caroline Decaire-Goldin
Running for school board in Prince George's County District 2
Email: friendsofcdg@gmail.com
Website: www.carolineforpgcps.com/
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
37
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Director of teaching and learning, Office of the State Superintendent of Education D.C.
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Doctorate in education policy and leadership, American University
Why are you running for the school board?
I'm running for the Prince George's County Public Schools District 2 Board of Education seat because I love Prince George's County Public Schools and believe that with strong accountability, increased transparency and more intentional communication and partnership with families, we can build a school system our community is confident in.
I started my career right here in Prince George's County as a second-grade teacher. That experience shaped me as a person and professional, and I've been in education ever since—working with a sense of urgency to close opportunity gaps for our most vulnerable students. My belief in the importance of education is also personal: I watched my mother—often quickly disregarded as a teen mom—fight my local school system numerous times to make sure I had access to academic opportunities that seemed to come easily to others. That left a dual impression on me: quality education is worth fighting for, and families shouldn't have to fight so hard just to put their child on a path to success.
Now, as a parent raising my own children 10 minutes down the road from my very first Prince George's County Public Schools classroom, my urgency and passion have only grown. I want every student to make meaningful academic gains and be taught by well-prepared, well-compensated teachers truly supported to move the needle for kids. I want every classroom to be a place of belonging, where each student knows they are being championed by the adults around them to succeed.
I don't want "better," I want "best." That's what Prince George's County Public Schools students deserve.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
In addition to knowing firsthand what it's like to work in Prince George's County Public Schools schools, my depth of education program and policy experience, paired with steadfast advocacy, make me the ideal candidate for the board. I have worked across many levels of education—from coaching teachers on how to make instructional decisions based on classroom data, to reviewing teacher preparation programs to ensure new teachers entering local schools can actually teach kids to read. Designing and implementing school improvement strategies, literacy initiatives, AI-usage frameworks and grow-your-own teacher apprenticeship programs are not theoretical concepts to me—it's part of my day-to-day work. This will make me a well-versed partner for families seeking to understand the intricacies of federal, state and local education policies and programs so we can effectively advocate for their children.
But beyond my content knowledge is my relentless commitment to keeping equity front and center and being loud about what students deserve. Being an effective board member means not only approving budgets and monitoring key metrics, but also advocating to other state and local entities to ensure the district has the resources to serve students, teachers and families well. I have already advocated before the County Council, the Board of Education and other bodies, often gathering testimony from other families because my voice should serve primarily as an amplifier of our community's hopes and concerns.
I've spent my career driving positive education outcomes for kids and I’m here to do that work for every student in District 2.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
The most important issue facing the board is restoring family trust—trust that has been broken by operational breakdowns and a lack of transparency. It is the responsibility of the board and district leadership to repair that relationship, through concrete, consistent and tangible changes over time. Prince George's County Public Schools families aren't asking for radical things: buses that show up on time and don't force 5-year-olds to ride for two hours, HVAC systems that work, buildings that don't catch fire, etc. In District 2, families have also cited a lack of board member accessibility and responsiveness as a longstanding concern. I have high expectations for family and community engagement using existing structures such as parent teacher organizations (though we need these at every school!), WhatsApp groups and other channels to meet families where they are.
Further, last year's budgeting process caught many families off guard when specialty programs were proposed for cuts. More difficult budgeting decisions are coming, and they cannot be made in isolation or through performative engagement. Community input must actually shape decisions rather than being put in a position to only react to them after the fact. Our transportation crisis demonstrates this same need—by publicly posting routes and adopting best practices from neighboring districts, we can bring families into the process to make better, more informed decisions together.
I will always fight for Prince George's County Public Schools to have the resources it needs, and will simultaneously hold our school system accountable for the transparency and functionality our students deserve.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire every teacher and school leader who shows up each day resisting harmful national narratives and showing Black, Latino and immigrant students they matter, teachers with safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ kids and teachers who stock classrooms with snacks and toiletries paid for out of pocket, not because someone told them to, but because they demand well-being for their students.
I admire bus drivers who start before the sun comes up, high-fiving kids as they board and building relationships with families along the way. I admire custodians doing often-thankless work to care for aging buildings, resetting the learning environment each night. I admire food service staff who pack every breakfast, lunch and after-school meal bag so kids have the energy to learn.
Our most admirable leaders aren't the ones with fancy titles. They're the people keeping our schools running and students healthy every single day.
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 is an interconnected framework that requires full implementation to see its intended results, and I support fully funding and protecting this plan.
As a result of Blueprint, I am glad Prince George's County Public Schools has met the $60,000 minimum salary for new teachers. As a former educator, I remember how difficult it was to make ends meet. I also remember colleagues—single parents with a decade of experience—struggling to pay for basic necessities. That is not the foundation for a strong and effective workforce. Prince George's County Public Schools has a deep pool of prospective teacher talent that we're losing to neighboring jurisdictions, and I want that talent enticed to stay and grow their careers here. We must continue evaluating our pay scale while investing in teacher development so teachers are well prepared to serve all students, especially multilingual learners and students with disabilities, as explicitly emphasized in Blueprint.
I'm also pleased to see the Blueprint sparking innovation in Prince George's County Public Schools. For example, the district created the Recruitment and Retention Advisor Hispanic Outreach role and is part of a career counseling partnership for middle and high schools. These are promising investments that respond to real needs. We must keep pressing forward until the academic and career outcomes the Blueprint promises are fully realized.
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?
Prince George's County Public Schools has made progress addressing chronic absenteeism, with a year-over-year drop to 27% this year. That rate is still too high, and until every student is receiving the education they're entitled to, I will not be content. The board's primary responsibility is governance and oversight—data transparency, asking tough questions, monitoring the district's strategy against planned outcomes and evaluating how resources are being deployed to solve the problem all fall within the board's function.
The board also serves in an advocacy role with other state and local entities. Chronic absenteeism isn't about schools alone, it's a systems problem that requires looking across the range of life factors affecting our students. That may mean advocating for partnerships and county or state resources related to housing, mental health, food security and other concerns. As an educator and advocate with experience across sectors, these are responsibilities I am prepared for.
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?
AI continues to evolve rapidly, and I remain concerned about ed-tech companies profiting from platforms that target our most vulnerable students using barely regulated technology. Sound student-facing AI policy depends on strong staff AI policy first, and right now, no district in the country has built sufficient AI literacy among staff to responsibly shape what that means for students. I'm glad Prince George's County Public Schools does not currently have students using large language models, and the board's adopted AI policy, directing the superintendent to convene an AI working group, is a good start. I look forward to seeing that group roll out comprehensive district policy, from procurement to student use, in a timely manner.
Beyond AI, I'm also concerned about how technology is used in classrooms generally, and support a landscape scan of how and why screens are used, so we can address the root causes driving that reliance, not just the symptom.
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?
When students feel a sense of belonging, they fare better academically and emotionally. I support district-wide social-emotional learning standards with grade-level benchmarks to define what safe, supportive schools look and feel like. Prince George's County Public Schools also has many strong initiatives—community schools, mental health grants, surveys—now we need to integrate them as a comprehensive strategy and monitor progress to achieving our goals. We need to close every vacancy for mental health practitioners and clinicians and we also need to be sure we are centering student voice when addressing youth mental health. Our schools could also benefit from more opportunities for youth-led initiatives, putting students in the driver's seat to design solutions.
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?
I don't believe in banning books or materials with difficult content, full stop. But, schools must also handle tough topics with sensitivity, careful planning and family communication. If there are concerns, I would ensure caregivers know their rights under district policy and encourage open dialogue—through one-on-one conversations, mediations with school teams or roundtables—to reach resolution and strengthen the partnership between families and schools.
