Tom Woods
Running for school board in Garrett County
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 5)?
74
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
Retired.
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Master's degree.
Why are you running for the school board?
This will be my third term on the Garrett County Public Schools Board of Education (running unopposed for an at-large seat). I am a 36-year educator who wants to continue to serve the students and families of Garrett County.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have already served for two terms on the Garrett County Public Schools Board of Education. I was a 36-year teacher, football coach, wrestling coach, athletic director and school principal. I have been involved in many other community activities and programs.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Fulfilling the many obligations presented as a result of Maryland's Blueprint for the Future. Additionally, the mounting concerns with student mental health issues. Lastly, the financial implications resulting from the aforementioned as well as inflationary costs.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire Gov. Wes Moore and his approach to helping the students and those in need in our state. His passion to help is evident in most everything he does.
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 ideas and solutions presented by the Blueprint come with an awful lot of obstacles. Those of us in rural and somewhat low-income areas will have difficulty meeting all the guarantees and expectations of the Blueprint. Finding many selective professionals demanded by the Blueprint is especially hard in rural counties.
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?
Our county policy allows cellphone use before and after school as well as lunch time. Other hours of the student day dictate that cellphones, watches and other electronic communication devices be turned off and either in lockers or bookbags.
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?
Our school system has made every stride to ensure the safety of students and staff. Security vestibules, school security officers, background checks for visitors, instant communication systems, etc., go a long way in protecting all who are associated with Garrett County Public Schools.
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?
Inappropriate books certainly should not be available to students. However, the decision as to what is inappropriate is a very slippery slope. As a former teacher, I trust the decisions made by teachers, librarians, central office staff and school administrators with regard to appropriate materials. Certainly, parent/teacher organizations play another part in oversight and should have a seat at the table when books are reviewed.
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?
I have no opinion on individual rights of expression by students and families.
