By Adam Pagnucco.
In my survey on endorsements, my sources voted for the Montgomery County Education Association’s Apple Ballot as the most influential endorsement in MoCo. Of course, they’re right. But why?
One thing I have always respected about MCEA is how hard their rank and file members work at election time. I have never known the union to use paid canvassers. Occasionally, endorsed campaigns will hand out Apple Ballots. I did in 2014, when my employer – Council Member Hans Riemer – was on the Apple. I had great fun at a precinct in Potomac handing out Apples alongside the father of a delegate candidate. Like me, this enthusiastic dad was a New Yorker and we had a contest to see who was louder. He was a Brooklyn guy so he beat me.
But folks like me are the exception. The vast majority of people who hand out Apple Ballots are teachers. By their nature, teachers are smart, articulate, friendly and have great people skills. If they didn’t have those characteristics, they would be in a different line of work. When I head out to precincts, I always chat with these teachers. For the most part, we don’t talk about politics. I ask them what it’s like to work in MCPS.
Last week, I talked to a fellow handing out Apple Ballots at the early vote center in Wheaton. He used to be a high school teacher and retired a year ago. He told me two things about working in MCPS.
First, he said he had purchased food out of his own pocket for his students for years. He did so in part because hungry students have problems focusing on learning. One proud moment that put a smile on his face was when he overheard his former students telling his new students, “You’re going to hate him this year, but you’ll love him when you get someone else next year.” How often do you hear something like that in your job?
Second, he was very concerned about the impact of AI on students in his last couple of years of teaching. AI has become so pervasive that it is replacing the capacity of students to write and even think for themselves. He reacted by only assigning reading, not writing, as homework because he knew his students would use AI to complete their writing assignments. He reserved writing for the classroom where he could restrict the use of devices. Such trends are worrisome as humans should never cede their capacity for critical thinking to machines.
I enjoyed talking to this fellow and he was an exemplary representative of his organization. So it has been with the many teachers who have given me Apple Ballots over the years. In this era of Super PACs, digital ads, confusing campaign materials and social media rumor mongering, I respect the personal touch of teachers even when I don’t always agree with their union’s picks. And that’s the source of the real power of the Apple Ballot.
This year’s 2026 primary Apple Ballot.