By Adam Pagnucco.
Here is today’s question.
Should school resource officers be stationed inside MCPS schools?
Mithun Banerjee (D)
On April 29, Banerjee requested more time to respond due to medical reasons. At that time, he told me, “I was sick & still I am sick. I will try my level best to send them to you at the earliest.”
Andrew Friedson (D)
I support the “Supportive and Safe” model. Every student deserves a safe learning environment. I believe in well-trained SROs who serve as mentors and protectors within the school community and aren’t asked to implement school discipline. I’m the only major candidate running for County Executive who didn’t vote to defund the SRO program and eliminate the officer positions with police officers in them.
Evan Glass (D)
In a school district with nearly 160,000 students attending over 200 schools, from rural to urban, a one-size-fits-all policy doesn’t work. SROs were removed unilaterally by the County Executive in 2021, without meaningful input from every community.
As County Executive, I will engage with each school cluster to understand what their students, parents, and educators need to feel safe. Solutions must be tailored to the specific needs of each community, not imposed from Rockville.
At the same time, school safety is about more than security measures. I support expanded investments in mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and multilingual clinicians so every student has access to the care they need throughout the school day. Traumatic incidents have increased in frequency, and we must use best practices to prevent tragedies before they happen and responsibly support students and families after they do.
Safety and support are not competing priorities. They work together, and every student deserves both.
Peter James (D)
NO.
MSPC uses the Prussian authoritarian education model which escalates school violence.
Research shows students of color suffer disproportional under this system. With a County police force that arrests times more blacks than whites(population ratio adjusted), it can be expected black students will be 600% more likely to receive a criminal history that will burden them for life.
I will use my control of the budget to twist MCPS’ arm to pilot Montessori and small school models.
How often to you hear about school shootings at Montessori schools.
Fairfax has piloted Montessori schools and is expanding that program in this year due to its success.
Students who attended a public Montessori program for preschool have better short-term memories and reading outcomes by the end of kindergarten compared to their peers.
Montessori students have better high school and college graduation rates and better long term career outcomes.
Montessori schools teach peace as part of their curriculum and have lower incidents of violence.
I want to convert MCPS prison like schools to affordable housing condos and build smaller schools with stronger school communities.
My autonomous guideways will get students to central afterschool practice facilities for cluster sports teams.
Will Jawando (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Shelly Skolnick (R)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Esther Wells (R)
Yes, school resource officers (SROs) should be stationed inside MCPS schools. As a lifelong resident and mother of two boys, including a son with Autism and ADHD, safety is my highest priority.
Government’s primary purpose is funding public safety, education, and transportation. As County Executive, I will fully fund our police to ensure adequately trained staff are stationed inside schools.
We are facing a crisis: weapons incidents rose 30% last year. Since removing SROs in 2021, we have witnessed the first two in-school shootings in MCPS history. The experiment to dismantle the “school-to-prison pipeline” by removing officers has failed; disciplinary disparities have actually worsened, with minority suspensions skyrocketing.
SROs are a vital “insurance policy” to prevent tragedy. The true ” school-to-prison pipeline ” is the achievement gap. When only 15% of Hispanic and 22% of Black students are proficient in math, we are failing them. Low literacy, not police presence, is the real predictor of future incarceration.
We must create secure environments where learning can happen so our children come home alive. We must stop burying our heads in the sand.