Robin Merchant Spickler
Running for school board in Washington County
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 5)?
70
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Retired teacher.
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Master’s of education in early childhood education from Hood College, Frederick.
Why are you running for the school board?
After spending my whole career in the teaching field, I felt the drive to give all stakeholders (students, teachers and communities) a voice. I want every student and teacher to be treated with dignity and respect. I want parents to know what the school board is trying to do to help with the education of their children and why the school board does certain things. Some of the decisions that are made may not be popular, but they are made in the best interest of all. I want the chance to work with the Washington County Public Schools superintendent, Dr. David Sovine, to continue to build on the many successes of his leadership and make improvements to our school system to be even better.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
As a retired elementary teacher of 44 years from the Washington County Public Schools system, I have experience and I understand how the Board of Education's policies and decisions impact students, teachers and the school communities. I am a life-long resident of Washington County, I am committed to providing representation and a voice for those who live throughout the county and for issues related to all stakeholders (students, teachers, and communities), to ensure that the needs and issues that affect all are heard and considered at the table. As a taxpayer, I am committed to fiscal responsibility but also committed to making the necessary investments in public education that are needed for our schools.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Staff recruitment and retention is one of the most critical issues facing our school board. Teachers are leaving for higher pay and less stressful jobs. While salaries have increased, I would advocate for an increase in funding to see that they are in keeping with the areas around Washington County and that would make teaching an attractive profession for graduates to go into. I would like to see a real push on getting people to come back to teaching with a campaign that offers training and support to come back without the sacrifice of not earning enough money to make ends meet. The mental health and well-being of teachers are a concern because of the growing student behaviors. First, there needs to be an acknowledgment that there is a problem. Then all the stakeholders can work together and look for solutions. This could be addressing the workload, implementing flexible working, and continuing to allow teachers to work at home to complete lesson planning/report cards.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
The one public leader that I admire would be Larry Hogan. Larry Hogan was faced with making so many tough decisions as our governor of Maryland during COVID, and he worked hard for all the citizens of Maryland during that time. He was not worried about what other states or fellow Republicans thought he should do; he wanted to keep his constituents safe. He was up-front and honest with everyone from day one. He showed strength and integrity, a trait of a great human being.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, passed by the General Assembly in 2021, is a 10-year plan that includes increased education funding to support early childhood education, increased teacher starting pay, college/career-readiness standards for high school graduates, and expanded services to multilingual and impoverished families, among other goals. Please tell us your views on the Blueprint and how it will affect your school district.
The Blueprint for Maryland's Future is most definitely a move in the right direction for the success of all stakeholders. The implementation of it is going to be a major issue, and with my experience, I can ensure that students and teachers get their needs met. Our Washington County Public School system has been increasing the early childhood education programs to where there are pre-kindergarten classes in every elementary school and in two high schools in the county. Increasing teacher starting salary has also been on the front burner, and it continues to be. Washington County Public School system, collaboratively with the Washington County Teacher Association, works to meet the requirements of the Blueprint for the starting salary of teachers. There is the need to have conversations to strengthen effective methods to recruit, hire, develop and retain staff. There is the Birth to Kindergarten Department and the Judy Center that provide families with academic and basic needs support. There is a program created for juniors and seniors to earn 60 credits as part of an accelerated Teacher Academy of Maryland program. There are telephonic and in-person interpretation and translation available. In the Washington County Public School system there are multilingual family liaison paraprofessionals and elementary multiliterate teacher family specialists to support families. There is a digital texting communication application and an English learner outreach engagement program. A community school coordinator has been established in several elementary schools.
Some school districts nationwide are placing new limits on the use of cellphones in middle and high schools. What do you think should be the policy on student use of cellphones in your district, and why do you support that policy?
The Washington County Public School system has implemented a new cellphone policy: “FOCUS NOW! PHONES LATER.” This has been a long time coming, it is in the best interest of the students’ well-being and their academic progress. It will help the students learn in a positive and productive environment. Excessive screen time and social media use is impacting the students, especially during the school day. During instructional time, the devices (cellphones, tablets, smart watches, earbuds) are to be kept out of sight and turned off. Students may be disciplined for using their cellphones, and a school administrator may take the cellphone.
Are you satisfied with your school district's efforts to ensure the safety of its students? What, if anything, should be done to improve school safety in your district?
Ensuring the safety of all students and teachers is important and the Washington County Public School system does not take this lightly. Over the last several years, safety vestibules have been built in all the schools in Washington County, and only personnel with Washington County Public School-issued badges are allowed access. The school system regularly practices and reviews safety procedures in all schools. Having metal detectors installed or school resource officers is another way to increase the safety of students and teachers. No matter what safety measures are in place … everyone needs to be vigilant.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries? If so, what kind of books should be removed, and who should make those decisions?
It is the parents’ choice. It is not in my place to advise a parent what their child should or should not read. There is a policy in place, in the Washington County Public School system, that a parent can view the books that are in their child’s Media Center. If there is a book that the parent does not want their child to have access to, the media teacher will flag it, and their child will not be able to access it. Their right to do that for their child will not restrict another child from choosing to read that book. If a parent has a concern about the nature or language of a book, they can fill out paperwork, and it will be sent to a committee to review.
Some school districts enact policies allowing transgender and gender nonconforming students to use their preferred pronouns while at the same time not informing those students' parents about that decision. What is your opinion of such policies?
This is truly a very controversial topic and one that should not be taken lightly. I am not sure that an elementary student would understand the meaning behind using other pronouns than he/she, him/her, or other ones. Now an older student coming of age may very well understand and begin to test the waters as to where they fit in. There should be a support plan developed for students to ensure they feel comfortable expressing their gender identity. A policy like this is not trying to undermine parental rights, it is trying to create an environment where the student feels safe, trusted and trusting so that they have the best opportunity to learn. We want students to be able to talk with their teachers or counselors about things that may be problematic for them at home.
