Editor’s note: Fourteen candidates are running for three open seats on the Montgomery County Board of Education. Board members serve four-year terms. Three incumbents are among the candidates running: school board Vice President Lynne Harris (At-Large) and board members Rebecca Smondrowski (Dist. 2) and Shebra Evans (Dist. 4). MoCo360 is running profiles of the candidates based on questionnaire answers submitted for our voters guide.
Brenda M. Diaz
City/town of residence: Gaithersburg
Date of birth: None provided
Current occupation and employer: teacher at Fusion Global Academy, founder of Heart of
Joy Learning
Political experience: None
Website: diazforboe.com
Email: bmdiaz4boe@gmail.com
Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):
X: @BrendaMDiaz4BOE
Facebook: diaz.for.boe
Instagram: diaz.for.boe
Why are you running for this office?
I am running because my life’s purpose is dedicated to providing children with a rich, safe, and thriving learning environment. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher, I advocate for students, families, and teachers within MCPS. I bring the courage and commitment to hold the school board, superintendent, and MCPS central office accountable for upholding their promise of excellence. I will ask critical questions, have tough conversations, and drive solutions for academic success in MCPS, ensuring every child receives the education they deserve to flourish in today’s world.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
I bring a wealth of knowledge and insight necessary to rebuild the foundation of academic excellence in MCPS. With over 20 years of teaching experience across various educational settings, from the pre-K classroom at a cooperative nursery school to public high school, as a Spanish teacher to social studies, substitute to curriculum coordinator at a private progressive school in Washington, D.C., from ESOL to AP, and even as a Montgomery County Education Association building representative at Gaithersburg High School, my understanding of different populations positions me to collaborate effectively with students, parents and teachers.
What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?
The safety of our children while they are in the care of our schools is the most important issue in this race. With rising crime across the county and the number of serious incidents of bullying, harassment, and violence reported in our schools rising, we must ensure that our schools provide the protection our students deserve so that they can focus on their learning. I will bring back our school resource officers, supporting administrators across MCPS who unequivocally sought to retain the program in a letter directed to the Board of Education on Dec. 1, 2020. Our school resource officers build relationships with students, parents, teachers, and the greater community. I want them to continue the important work of creating a safe environment for our students, teachers, and administrators.
Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?
I am committed to fostering transparent communication with the superintendent, ensuring accountability for achieving our academic excellence goals. Through regular weekly meetings, I’ll establish clear expectations and benchmarks, openly shared with the public, to guide our progress. I’ll institute policies for oversight, monitoring financial matters, hiring practices, and addressing misconduct promptly. Additionally, I'll facilitate open forums with teachers, visit classrooms, and extend time for community engagement during school board meetings. By implementing these measures and working collaboratively with the board, we'll ensure timely resolution of concerns and maintain focus on our mission of academic advancement in MCPS.
Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?
All three of my children were at some point enrolled in MCPS. My eldest graduated from Poolesville High School and participated in the Humanities magnet program in that school. She currently attends Montgomery College and is a history major. My middle daughter is a sophomore at Quince Orchard High School, where she plays softball. GO COUGARS! Finally, my youngest attended Fields Road Elementary School her kindergarten year.
Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?
I am not an MCPS alumnus. However, I completed my student-teacher practicum at Ridgeview Middle School, ultimately teaching social studies at Gaithersburg High School for seven years.
Ricky Fai Mui
City/town of residence: Rockville
Date of birth: May 1979
Current occupation and employer: management consultant, Accenture
Political experience: previous candidate for Rockville City Council; appointed member of the Rockville City Human Services Advisory Commission
Website: www.RickyFMui.com
Email: Vote.Ricky.F.Mui@outlook.com
Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):
X: RickyFMui;
Facebook: Ricky_F_Mui_Works For You
Why are you running for this office?
The outcomes don’t justify the billions we invest in our Montgomery County Public School system. Throughout K-12, we have students that cannot read at grade level, a good percentage of front-line teachers are exhausted and dissatisfied, and a growing population of parents question how their students’ education will make them competitive in the job market. The majority of our high schools rank less than 60% for college readiness, yet graduation rates are above 90%. We know that if a graduate makes minimum wage, that would be below the self-sufficiency standard, and would eventually require additional public financial assistance.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
I have prepared for this role throughout my academic and professional career. We need a competent financial manager to understand how to optimize our expenditure, where and when to invest in capital improvement projects; for this I will leverage my M.B.A. acumen. We need professionals that can streamline processes, minimize waste, and increase efficiency: for this I will utilize my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification. We need proven leaders that will listen to their constituents, plan and act quickly to resolve known issues; I would bring my military leadership into the arena. Heart and skill.
What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?
MCPS has many layers of issues, with many factors intertwined, preventing independent resolution. First, there is a lack of respect for our front-line teachers and educators. We have students that feel little repercussions for disrupting classes, attacking other students and teachers. This could be a symptom of a misaligned teacher to student ratio, minimal support by the administration, and a lack of enforcement of discipline and accountability of the students. We must empower our teachers, engage our parents, and safeguard our children; their time at MCPS is precious and will set the stage for their future.
Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?
Trust must be earned through time, clarity of action and engagement of the stakeholders, to include the different parts of the school system. The school board must develop concise, measurable actions that are time bound. We must see definitive improvement. I would help structure streamlined processes, especially to identify risks, such as harassment, non-compliance with established standards or protocols, and meeting academic goals for our students. We cannot continue this current system of disorganization, disaggregation, and disappointment. We have a broken system that hinged on one or two employees to oversee multiple processes; allowing a single point of failure.
Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?
I have two children at Beall Elementary School, a third grader and a fifth grader. I am extremely proud of their academic performance, their compassion toward their classmates and their willingness to be respectful to their teachers. They are major influences as to why I am seeking public office directly to safeguard my children and your children, so that learning for life takes place at MCPS.
Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?
I graduated high school in Florida. During my high school years, I completed all Advanced Placement courses offered. I was part of the NJROTC unit, eventually leading the Color Guard. Following a short enlistment in the Navy, I was selected to attend the United States Naval Academy. I am happy to be back in Maryland, and now I get to find and interview candidates for the U.S. Naval Academy.
Rebecca Smondrowski
City/town of residence: Gaithersburg
Date of birth: October 25, 1968
Current occupation and employer: MCPS / Board of Education
Political experience: 12 years as a Board of Education member
Website: Rebeccaonboard.com
Email: rsmondrowski@gmail.com
Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):
Facebook – @Rebeccaonboard
Why are you running for this office?
I have spent the last 20 years dedicating myself to the students, staff and families in the MCPS community. I am passionate about providing a positive school experience for every child and making sure that they have what they need in order to be successful. ’m proud of the work that we are doing to raise math and literacy scores, as well as improving school safety and climate. But there’s more to be done, and I am committed to that work. I am an independent and forward-thinking voice of reason, and I will continue to fight for our children’s future.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
During my time on the Board of Education, I have had the opportunity to serve on each of our committees, and with the support of my colleagues, I officially established the Special Populations Committee, which I then chaired until this year. I am currently serving as chair of the Policy Management Committee and sit on the Fiscal Management Committee. Prior to being on the Board of Education, I served as legislative director to Sen. Roger Manno, and for many years was an active member of MCCPTA, holding positions such as curriculum chair, vice president of legislation, and cluster representative.
What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?
At this point in time there are multiple issues that need immediate attention. Among them are improving academic performance within MCPS by focusing on math and reading skills. We need to hire a superintendent who not only has a strong background in elevating student outcomes but also deeply understands the unique needs of our diverse student body. It is also essential that the board has oversight in implementing the recommendations of the OIG and the recommendations made by experts related to the enhancement and restructuring of OHRD and Compliance and Investigations.
Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?
I will advocate for increased transparency and accountability across the school system. We need to improve communication both within MCPS and the community. We must review the recommendations from external experts who evaluate the structures and processes of OHRD and the Department of Compliance and Investigations, ensuring there are clear reporting processes for employees and timely investigations that are documented. By prioritizing the safety and well-being of our students and staff and holding all members of the school community to the highest ethical standards, we can restore confidence in our schools and create a more trustworthy and respectful educational environment.
Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?
I’m incredibly proud of my children. Both completed their education entirely in the Montgomery County school system. My son Andrew graduated from the Bridge Program at Gaithersburg High School in 2014 and is currently serving in the U.S. Army. My daughter Sophia graduated from Quince Orchard High School in 2018, graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2022 and is now working in real estate in Houston at the Texas Medical Center.
Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?
I am not an MCPS alumnus.
Aby Thioye
City/town of residence: Rockville
Date of birth: None provided
Current occupation and employer: clinical research director, National Institute of Health
Political experience: I have no political experience.
Website: aby4mcps.com
Email: info@aby4mcps.com
Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.): twitter.com/AbyThioye
Why are you running for this office?
I am running for MCPS school board with the ultimate goal of providing our students a world class education and helping them fulfill their greatest potential. To do this I will fight to ensure that MCPS is run according to universal standards of professionalism, ethics, accountability, transparency, and good governance.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
As a clinical research coordinator, I work closely with medical directors and am responsible for submitting monthly reports to my supervisors. I work cohesively in close coordination with my team of research nurses. I see projects through from start to finish on a regular basis. I will bring this management and leadership experience to the school board. As an immigrant woman of color fluent in multiple languages and a mom of five MCPS students, I bring a fresh perspective to the school board.
What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?
The most important issue in this race is that MCPS is failing in its stated mission “to ensure every student has the academic, creative problem solving, and social emotional skills to be successful in college, career and community, regardless of his or her background.” Only 34% of MCPS students grades three to eight are proficient in math and only 22% of high school students are proficient in algebra. In 2023, the percentage of eighth graders proficient in science fell over 11 percentage points, to 33.7%. Only half of our elementary students read at their grade level. The fundamental reason for MCPS’s failure is that many key actors, including but not limited to some members of the school board, behave as if their goal is not MCPS’s stated mission but the advancement and perpetuation of their own careers and influence.
Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?
At a bare minimum, I will immediately strive to implement the Inspector General’s recommendations regarding MCPS’s failure to have a functioning system for teachers to submit complaints about employee misconduct and its failure to exercise meaningful oversight. But while the remedy here certainly includes an administrative fix, there is clearly a much deeper problem. We need to find out who covered up for [principal Joel] Beidleman, and who continued to promote him despite his record of misconduct. And we need to confront the fact that the current MCPS administration fails to accept responsibility for its systematic failures in this case. These failures clearly run deeper than the case of Beidleman himself. While justice must be done in his case, it is a symptom rather than the disease itself.
It is this that we must confront if MCPS is to be revitalized and become the model of academic excellence and good governance that we all know it can be.
Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?
I have five children, all of whom attend or did attend MCPS schools. Two of them graduated from Richard Montgomery. My youngest child attends Richard Montgomery High. My other two children attended College Gardens Elementary and Julius West Middle School until this year, when my husband and I elected to send them to a private religious school.
Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?
I did not graduate from MCPS. I was born and raised in Senegal, where I received my early education. I studied medicine for two years at the University of Dakar and in 2003, immigrated to the U.S. I earned a bachelor of sciences degree and a master of sciences degree from the University of Maryland.
Natalie Zimmerman
City/town of residence: Rockville
Date of birth: November 22, 1995
Current occupation: Montgomery County Public Schools second-grade teacher at Wheaton Woods Elementary School
Political experience: bachelor’s degree in international studies and political science; former campaign staff for Gretchen Driskell for Congress
Website: zimmermanforBOE.com (under construction)
Email: zimmermanforeducation@gmail.com
Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557122841765
https://www.instagram.com/nzimmermanforboe
https://twitter.com/ZimmermanforBOE
Why are you running for this office?
I am running for this office because I believe in taking action. Throughout my time in MCPS, I have seen the system fail students and educators alike. Montgomery County Public Schools has some of the greatest potential in the country to provide the highest quality public education possible to every single child – no matter their race, gender, socio-economic status, or otherwise. As an MCPS teacher, I have taken action on behalf of students and my fellow educators to capitalize on our potential and stop foundering our students’ futures. I am running so I can speak from the classroom and into policy.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
I have taught in MCPS for five years. I know the system from one of its most crucial points of success, which makes me extremely qualified to speak from it. I believe I am a competitive candidate not only because I am experienced as a teacher, but because I come with the experiences of a teacher. I know how to balance an absurdly high number of demands at once and meet the needs of many with few resources. I know hard work because I work like a teacher. I am committed to work hard for students and educators of MCPS.
What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?
I find the budget to be an important issue in this race. I believe that MCPS must first fund the contract with the Montgomery County Education Association. Contractual agreements must be upheld – especially as MCPS looks to increase transparency and trust. Next, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future must be our guiding force in what is chosen to be funded. While the Blueprint does paint broad strokes, the school board must not just fit current practices into the pillars, but instead be willing to abandon projects and initiatives that are not meeting success measures as hoped and choose to fund new opportunities for educators and students.
Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former MCPS principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?
Rebuilding trust with the community – including educators – is of utmost importance. Without the accountability to constituents that the Board of Education holds, the superintendent can easily become swayed and follow their own interests. I would advocate for the Board of Education to have their own staff that is independent of MCPS staff. MCPS bringing critical information to the board allows for misrepresentation of data and fact. Additionally, the board should be sure to follow through with commitments as delivering on obligations will improve trust. The board must allow for feedback from stakeholders across the county and err on the side of over-communication.
Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?
I do not presently have my own child in MCPS schools, but I have had the privilege to teach and nurture many students that now attend and have attended schools across Montgomery County Public Schools, including Summit Hall Elementary School, Rosemont Elementary School, Mill Creek Towne Elementary School, Wheaton Woods Elementary School, Forest Oak Middle School, and others.
Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?
I am not an MCPS alumnae, but all of my educational experiences in teaching and learning have been in public schools and universities.