Rebecca Smondrowski

Sierra Club

 

GENERAL

1. Why are you running for the Board of Education?  What are your major qualifications? Please list any relevant boards, committees, or commissions on which you have served (and number of years on each).  In what ways have these leadership experiences given you an understanding of Montgomery County, its challenges and opportunities?  How have these experiences prepared you to serve on the Board of Education? 

 

I have passionately worked as a member of the BOE since elected in 2012. Along with my dedication to the students, staff, and families in MCPS, I believe that my actions reflect my commitment toward improving Montgomery County for all residents. Before joining the Board, I was the legislative director for Senator Roger Manno and had already been immersed in the world of politics. My connections from this work continued and enhanced my relationships as a Board Member. The skills and strategies used as a legislative director and as a mom of public school students have made me a dedicated public servant.

My experience on the BOE allows me to provide historical insight while also acting with a forward-thinking approach. I am currently the chair of the special populations committee and have focused the work of the committee on providing an equitable, successful education for all students. We have worked hard over the last three years gathering and analyzing data related to both individual and school performance; I want to further this initiative, utilizing this data to maximize our student potential while optimizing our resources. This includes being especially mindful of how we spend our budget dollars, connecting dollars spent to initiatives achieved, and ensuring that opportunities are equitable across the system. 

Other Committees:

• Special Populations Committee- Chair (Board of Education)

• Policy Management Committee (Board of Education)

• Communications and Community Outreach Committee (Board of Education)

• Commissioner, Ethics Commission for City of Gaithersburg

• Board Member of MCPS Education Foundation

• Member, County Executive’s Domestic Violence Coordinating Council

• Weekly Volunteer, Women Who Cares Ministries 

• Founding Member, Montgomery County Food Security Taskforce (with Montgomery County Foods and Montgomery County Farmers)

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Schools and other MCPS facilities can serve as community models for energy efficiency

 

2. It is good that MCPS is currently paying more attention to energy efficiency than a few years ago.  However, if MCPS is going to be a strong community partner in addressing climate change, there is plenty more to do.  What do you intend to do to push MCPS to increase the energy efficiency of its buildings?  

• Teach the students:

• MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Programs provide outdoor environmental learning experiences for the students of Montgomery County Public Schools and has recently become recertified as a Maryland Green Centered School. 

• I support our stronger partnership with School Energy and Recycling Team in order to teach students the importance of recycling and implementing such programs in all schools, including composting programs.

• Ensuring Buldings are Efficient

• Making new facilities energy saving buildings 

• Support Strategic plan for Energy and Utilities Teams 

 

3. What do you intend to do to increase the percentage of MCPS energy that comes from wind and solar?  What is your stance on solar at school sites (including roofs, open land, parking areas)?

I have been a long-time advocate of green roofs and solar panels. I believe all of our school and office buildings should have solar energy panels on top of them. 

 

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is a critical piece of the school system

 

4. Most children get to/from school on a bus.  What would you do to increase the efficiency of the school’s bus system?  For instance, what about electric buses?  For instance, in down county locations, what about having some children use the already in-place Ride-On or Metrobus (or the Purple Line)?     

All students should have the ability to participate in a free and safe transportation that can provide them the opportunity to go to school for their educational day.  All students should be able to access various transportation modes depending on their individual needs.  I have been a long-time advocate of expanding the Free Ride-On service to our students and supported Councilman Glass’ legislation to this effect. 

 

5. Some parents drive their children to school.  Some HS students drive themselves to school.  What would you do to discourage such driving?  On the flip side, what would you do to encourage more children walking or biking to school?

When students and family members are accessing their education programs they should be encouraged to walk, ride, carpool, or use reliable transportation and safe bus   routes in order to decrease our carbon foot print. I support and participate in the annual walk to school to day. Additionally, I have advocated for bike racks at high schools and in all new buildings. Before COVID-19 I advocated for expanded online course options and telecommuting- and will continue to support such programs. 

 

SMART GROWTH

For our county, development guided by Smart Growth principles is a critical part of addressing climate change; MCPS can make an important difference here

 

6. In suburban Montgomery County, new schools have been designed using the “traditional” 1950s model – a short building (usually 1-2 stories tall), on a very large lot, with plenty of parking and large playing fields.  Are you willing to push MCPS to embrace a different model for new schools (and existing schools undergoing major renovations)?  Please address specifically your view on less parking, taller school buildings, smaller acreage.

I have always been interested in looking at various ways to envision the future of our schools and the changes that are necessary as we move forward. Taking into consideration that Montgomery County is one of the most diverse areas in the country, Each architectural plan should be a reflection upon what that school community needs, including identifying the model of the school, parking lot, population of students, and community in which it serves.

I think we should be looking at innovative options such as tennis courts on top of parking garages, we should be joining park and school playgrounds, and we should allow schools to share fields when possible. Additionally. I have advocated strongly for using vacant office space to provide specialized programming opportunities. 

 

7. Smart Growth aims to create compact neighborhoods where many places that folks want and need to go are located within walking distance of each other.  MCPS could play a part.  Co-location of other uses with schools could make a difference.   What do you think about co-location of housing, libraries, community centers, Parks Dept playgrounds and fields with schools?

I am a strong advocate for co-location. I have pushed for ideas like school libraries being public libraries and cafeterias being used as community space. MCPS should work with the local county council and stakeholders to ensure that each educational community has access to what is needed for the students and families to be successful.  We need to be working in concert with multiple departments within the county when constructing schools, playgrounds, housing, libraries, community centers etc. If we all work together to ensure we are meeting the needs of our communities, we are better suited to serve them in an efficient and fiscally responsible way. For example, I am a strong supporter of the Poolesville community plan and would support other communities building similar centers. 

 

EQUITY

Sierra Club’s national Executive Director, Michael Brune, has stated that “we cannot successfully tackle either climate change or inequality without addressing both”

As you know, Montgomery County has a pronounced east-west divide – with more affluent folks and more jobs generally located in the western parts of the county.  There are, of course, a variety of other factors that disadvantage students of color and those from lower income households

 

8. What do you see as the role of MCPS in addressing these equity issues?

It is very important to me that we continue to expand our educational resources and also promote both academic and career opportunities for all students, regardless of zip code, in order for them to find their own successful pathways.  It is MCPS’ role to provide every child enrolled to our schools with a free and appropriate education that can help them become active participating citizens of their communities. 

 

CURRICULUM

The MCPS curriculum is providing the knowledge foundation of future voters and leaders

 

9. What will you do to ensure that the MCPS curriculum enables students to gain a solid understanding of environmental issues, especially climate change?

In order to ensure that MCPS continues to provide knowledge to future voters and leaders, the BOE will continue to work towards a transparent, collaborative environmental sustainability plan that will provide our vision for sustainability and identifies the specific ways we will reduce our carbon footprint in each school. We will also create a plan to reflect the way we can decrease our carbon footprint using a transportation plan that will focus on how we can decrease the pollution and increase clean air.  

Additionally, we are constantly reviewing our curriculum for each grade level. As a better of understanding of climate change continue to unveil themselves, I support the necessary changes to the curriculum to ensure students have the most accurate and up to date information and are able to advocate for a healthier environment. 

I support hands-on projects and community partnerships to give our students real-world experiences in advocating and understanding environmental issues. This is something we should be reviewing annually.

 

Refer to question #2 for more information

 

FOOD

Schools provide many thousands of meals a day

 

10. What is your stance on how the schools should treat the opportunities to use school meals for multiple purposes (beyond the obvious of feeding hungry kids)?  Please address such matters as childhood obesity, local foods, healthy foods, composting, school gardens.  In terms of composting, please address the ways in which the current MCPS composting program should be expanded

Food is an essential part of the educational system. It is important that our school curriculum reflects teaching students about childhood obesity, healthy foods and the ability to identify ways they can help take care of the environment around them. One way of doing is this, for schools who may not have space for composting, is by having MCPS pair with Food Scraps Collectors to collect local schools’ food scraps for recycling in order to compost. This initiative could start with serving the local high school communities first and then working towards gradually reaching all schools over a five-year period. Additionally, we need to expand the onsite composting programs, which I have toured at multiple elementary schools, to middle and high schools.

School gardens are also a very important piece of this work and should be encouraged and supported. I have been working with local farmers to bring fresh produce into our schools, partnering with MoCo Foods to start the Food Security Task Force. 

 

OTHER

Safe playgrounds and playing fields are important

 

11. What is your position on synthetic turf?

Synthetic Turf is an equity issue. I have advocated for a pilot program for best practices around a high-end natural turf field. I always advocate, with every new school, for a top of the line, well designed and maintainable natural field.

However, due to the equity issue, those that cannot be sustained naturally, I have supported the turf fields to ensure there is some equity. I was the co-author of a resolution that no MCPS fields would include anything other than organic infill.