By Adam Pagnucco.
Earlier this week, I posted a press release by District 4 school board challenger Laura Stewart touting her endorsements by a group of elected officials. Now, the campaign of her opponent, incumbent Shebra Evans, has released a statement listing her endorsements. It is reprinted below followed by a few comments.
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For Immediate Release
September 19, 2024
EVANS SECURES SIGNFICANT ENDORSEMENTS FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FROM PROMINENT MONGOMERY COUNTY LEADERS
Shebra Evans, Board of Education Candidate in District 4, is proud to announce significant endorsements from prominent Montgomery County leaders.
These Montgomery County leaders have worked with Shebra during her 8-year tenure on the School Board and before her tenure when Shebra was an education advocate as a PTA President, Cluster Coordinator and MCCPTA Executive officer. During her time in office, Shebra Evans has demonstrated exceptional leadership staying steady in the face of unprecedented challenges, including serving as Board president during the height of the pandemic. She has earned the respect of her colleagues who voted her into leadership at the local level, but also at the state level where she currently serves as treasurer at the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) and currently chairs both MABE’s Budget and Education Equity committee and is a member of the Policy and Procedures committee and Blueprint Implementation Ad Hoc committee. Shebra has worked with 3 different superintendents and understands how to work through change.
From the time she joined the Board in 2016, she has been an outspoken advocate of the need for more Pre-K. Through her vigilance and sustained attention, MCPS has added 1,000 plus Pre-K seats during her tenure. In addition, her dedication and commitment has been ensuring every student is college, career and community ready. On her watch, MCPS has seen a growth in students graduating with both an associate’s degree and high school diploma. Making college more affordable for some and for others entering the workforce credentialed with a jump-start on their careers. Shebra is having a tangible and a positive impact on the lives of many, reflecting her deep commitment to making our school system a better place for everyone.
Her unique perspective as an African American woman has brought invaluable diversity and inclusivity to the board. Shebra has not only represented but actively championed the voices of underrepresented students, ensuring that students, staff and families have a valued voice at the table.
These prominent Montgomery County leaders all express the same sentiment: “We have had the privilege of watching Shebra’s work over the years, we can attest to her unwavering integrity, tireless work ethic, and genuine passion for serving. Her re-election would be a continued benefit to our county and a testament to the principles of fairness and progress we all strive for”.
Present and Former Elected Officials:
Honorable Brian Frosh, former Attorney General of Maryland, former Montgomery County State Senator, District 16, former Montgomery County State Delegate, District 16
Honorable Nancy King, Montgomery County State Senator, District 39
Honorable Will Smith, Montgomery County State Senator, District 20
Honorable Anne Kaiser, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 14
Honorable Pam Queen, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 14
Honorable Bernice Mireku-North, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 14
Honorable Ryan Spiegel, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 17
Honorable Charlotte Crutchfield, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 19
Honorable Bonnie Cullison, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 19
Honorable Jheanelle Wilkins, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 20
Honorable Gabe Acevero, Montgomery County State Delegate, District 39
Honorable Greg Wims, Montgomery County State Delegate District 39
Honorable Jeffrey Slavin, Mayor of Somerset
Honorable Monique Ashton, Mayor of Rockville
Honorable Peter Fosselman, former Mayor of Kensington
Honorable Will Jawando, Montgomery County Councilmember, At-Large
Honorable Gabe Albornoz, Montgomery County Councilmember, At-Large
Honorable Laurie-Anne Sayles, Montgomery County Councilmember, At-Large
Honorable Sidney Katz, Montgomery County Councilmember, District 3
Honorable Mike Subin, former Montgomery County Councilmember, At-Large
Honorable Cherri L. Branson, former Montgomery County Councilmember, District 5
Honorable Mumin Barre, former Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee member
Honorable Brenda Wolff, Montgomery County School Board member, District 5
Honorable Grace Rivera-Oven, Montgomery County School Board member, District 1
Honorable Chris Barclay, former Montgomery County School Board member, District 4
Honorable Shirley Brandman, former Montgomery County School Board member, At-Large
Honorable Jeanette Dixon, former Montgomery County School Board member, At-Large, former Principal, Paint Branch High School
Honorable Mike Durso, former Montgomery County School Board member, District 5
Local Community Leaders and Advocates:
Jane Merkin, former President, Women’s Democratic Club of Montgomery County
Will Roberts, President, Association of Black Democrats of Montgomery County
Anita Neal Powell, Community Activist
Derrick Nabors, AFL-CIO/ATU689 Delegate, Greater Silver Spring Democratic Club (Past President) Executive Board Member
Fatmata Barrie, Attorney, Community Activist
Art Williams, Chair, 1977 Action-II, Living Legend, Human Rights Hall of Fame, Founder of AAHP Aging Subcommittee
Alma Williams, Community Activist
Linda M. Plummer, Community Activist
Rick O’Neill, Husband of the late Honorable Pat O’Neill, former Montgomery County School Board member, District 3
Wylea Chase, Community Activist
Lucy Hayes, Community Activist
Shebra Evans says she looks forward to continuing to partner with these Montgomery County leaders with the shared goal of providing excellent educational opportunities for our Montgomery County students. “I am humbled and honored to have the support of these Montgomery County advocates and leaders and have valued the privilege of having worked with them side by side to improve education for all students. Together we have worked hard to ensure that we have strong schools, and strong support for teachers and parents. I am ready to continue my work as an effective advocate for students as a school board member with a strong focus on providing an excellent education and career readiness for ALL.” Evans said.
For more information, visit www.voteshebraevans.com. Authority: Friends of Shebra Evans, Jeffrey M. Groce, Treasurer
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So what should we make of these endorsements? When examining endorsements by elected officials, let’s bear in mind that they are made to benefit the endorsER more than the endorsEE. For whatever reason, these elected officials have made the calculation that they will gain something from their alignment with their chosen candidate. Who can say who is right?
In any event, if these endorsers want to be truly helpful, they should contribute money to their beneficiaries – something that all of the school board candidates desperately need. I will be watching for those contributions when the next round of campaign finance reports is due on October 25. One note: publicly financed candidates face restrictions on using their campaign accounts to contribute to traditional accounts (like those used for school board).
Back in February 2020, I looked at the seven prior rounds of school board elections and found that three factors explained the vast majority of election results: incumbency, the Apple Ballot and the Washington Post endorsement. Evans is the incumbent. Stewart has the Apple Ballot. The Post endorsed Evans in 2020, but they did not endorse in the primary this year and I have not heard whether they plan to endorse in the general. Barring any unusual events, any endorsements by the Post could be the last major event in this year’s school board campaign. That applies not just in District 4, but in the other two races as well.