Juan Arango-Millan
Running for school board in Prince George's County District 3
Email: juancaarango1234@gmail.com
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 3)?
-
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Town councilmember, Town of Brentwood
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Bachelor of arts, Salisbury University
Why are you running for the school board?
Public education changed the course of my life. Growing up in foster care and experiencing housing instability, I attended several schools, including PGCPS. During difficult periods, educators gave me stability, encouragement and support. Their impact showed me what a strong public school system can mean in a young person’s life. I am running because every student deserves that opportunity, regardless of ZIP code, income, language or personal circumstances. Our schools must prepare students not only to graduate, but also to succeed in college, careers, apprenticeships, and life. As a former educator, workforce development professional, legislative aide, and Brentwood councilmember, I have worked directly with young people, families and public agencies. I have helped residents navigate government, reviewed public spending and made decisions involving competing community needs. I also believe families must be treated as partners. They need clear information, accessible communication, and meaningful opportunities to participate in their children’s education. I am running to help build a school system that recognizes every student’s potential, supports its educators, listens to families and follows through on its promises. I know what public education made possible in my life, and I want every PGCPS student to have that same chance.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have seen public education from several perspectives: as a student, educator, workforce development professional, legislative aide and local elected official. Each experience has prepared me for a different part of the board’s work.
As a former educator, I understand the daily challenges students and teachers face. In workforce development, I helped young people connect education with college, apprenticeships, industry credentials and employment. As a legislative aide, I worked on constituent services and public policy. As a Brentwood councilmember, I review budgets, listen to residents, weigh competing priorities and make decisions for the whole community.
That experience has prepared me to set policy, oversee public resources, ask difficult questions and hold the superintendent accountable for carrying out the board’s direction.
I would also add representation and language access that are currently missing from the board. Hispanic and Latino students make up roughly 43% of PGCPS enrollment, yet there is no Latino member currently serving. As a bilingual Latino leader, I can communicate directly with Spanish-speaking families and help build stronger trust between families and the school system.
I will come prepared, listen to the people closest to our students, ask questions and follow up to make sure decisions are improving students’ education.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
The most urgent issue facing PGCPS is protecting student learning while responding to serious financial pressures, chronic absenteeism and fear among some immigrant families. PGCPS entered the 2026–2027 school year after making $150 million in reductions, the largest single-year budget adjustment in the district’s history. The Board must closely monitor the impact of those reductions, protect classrooms and essential student services, and be transparent with families about what is changing and why. Chronic absenteeism also remains far too high. PGCPS reported that the rate declined from 30% to 27.4%, but that still means more than one in four students is missing too much instructional time. We need to identify attendance problems early and address their causes, including transportation, housing instability, mental-health needs, academic struggles and disengagement. We must also recognize that the national climate around immigration has created fear and uncertainty. No student should miss school because a family is afraid, and no parent should fear participating in school activities. Families need accurate information in languages they understand, trusted school contacts, and confidence that PGCPS will protect students’ rights and private information. If elected, I will treat these issues as connected. I will protect classroom priorities, demand transparent financial oversight, strengthen multilingual family outreach and hold the system accountable for keeping students safe, present and learning.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk. She came to the United States as a child, learned English in school, became the first person in her family to attend college, and built a career serving others. She has represented communities in Prince George’s County and has worked to expand access to health care and protect vulnerable residents. Her story speaks to many families in our school system. She shows young people, especially immigrants and multilingual students, that their background is a source of strength and that they belong in every room where decisions are made. I admire her persistence, her connection to the community, and her willingness to take on difficult issues. Her leadership reminds me that public service should be grounded in listening, courage, and creating opportunities for others.
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 for Maryland’s Future because its priorities match all of PGCPS’s greatest needs: early childhood education, competitive educator pay, college and career readiness, mental-health services, and stronger support for multilingual students and families experiencing poverty. The Blueprint is creating real opportunities in our district. PGCPS has expanded college and career pathways, including an existing partnership with University of Maryland Global Campus that allows eligible students to earn college credit and pursue workforce-focused certificates at no cost. Partnerships with the University of Maryland and Prince George’s Community College are also helping develop a local pipeline of future educators. However, the Blueprint’s success depends on proper implementation and reliable funding. PGCPS serves one of Maryland’s largest and most diverse student populations, and the district should not be expected to meet expanding requirements without adequate resources. The Board must advocate in Annapolis and with county leaders for the funding necessary to fulfill the Blueprint’s commitments without cutting essential classroom services or placing excessive administrative burdens on educators. The Board must also track whether Blueprint investments are improving literacy, mathematics, attendance, teacher retention, graduation rates, and preparation for college and careers. If a program is not producing results, the district should explain why and make necessary changes. The Blueprint has the potential to expand opportunity across PGCPS, but that promise will require adequate funding, strong partnerships, careful oversight and accountability. I will advocate for our district’s fair share while ensuring those dollars reach classrooms and improve outcomes for students.
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 remains a serious problem in PGCPS. Although the district has made some progress, more than one in four students is missing too much instructional time. The board should require early-warning data, school-level attendance plans and measurable progress throughout the year. Schools must contact families before occasional absences become chronic and identify the underlying causes, including transportation, mental health, housing instability, academic struggles, bullying or lack of connection to school. I support expanding mentoring, family outreach, community partnerships and engaging academic and career programs that give students a reason to attend. The district’s Attendance Ambassador Program is a positive foundation, but its results should be evaluated publicly. Attendance should be addressed through prevention, support and accountability rather than a one-size-fits-all punitive response.
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 support teaching students how to understand and responsibly use AI because it will be part of higher education and the workplace. However, AI should be a tool, not a substitute for teaching, independent thought, or authentic student work. PGCPS should establish clear, age-appropriate rules explaining when AI may be used and when students must work independently. Educators also need training and practical guidance, but classrooms should not become dependent on this technology. Students must continue developing foundational skills in reading, writing, mathematics, research, creativity, and critical thinking. I support AI literacy, not AI dependency. The district’s policy should prepare students for a changing world while preserving genuine learning, academic integrity, human judgment, and the essential relationship between students and educators.
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?
PGCPS has invested in student mental health, but the level of need requires more staff, earlier intervention, and more consistent access across schools. I support expanding access to counselors, psychologists, social workers, and qualified community providers. The district should identify which schools have the greatest needs, longest waits, or largest staffing gaps and direct resources accordingly. Students should be able to receive help before a difficult situation becomes a crisis. Families also need clear information about available services, referrals, and emergency resources. That information should be available in the languages families understand. The Blueprint provides an opportunity to strengthen these services, but the Board must track whether students are actually receiving timely help. Mental-health support is not separate from academic achievement. Students learn best when they feel safe, supported, connected to their schools, and able to ask for help.
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?
We are a diverse and welcoming community, and families deserve a voice in their children’s education. When concerns about books or instructional materials arise, I support a transparent review process that includes parents, librarians, educators, administrators, and subject-matter experts. Decisions should be guided by educational value, age appropriateness, and district policy, with each work considered as a whole.Books should not be removed simply because someone disagrees with an idea or perspective. Parents should be able to guide their own children’s reading, but one family should not make that decision for every family. My goal is to build trust, respect differing perspectives, and ensure all students feel represented, welcomed, and supported.
