Andre Gao
Running for school board in Howard County District 1
How old will you be on Election Day (Nov. 5)?
64
Are you currently employed? If so, where, and what is your job title?
I am currently employed in a financial services company in Washington, D.C., and my job title is economic research manager.
What is the highest level of education that you completed, and where did you get that degree?
Doctorate in physics from Duke University and doctorate in economics from The American University.
Why are you running for the school board?
I decided to run for the Board of Education because I want to serve the community by improving our public schools. My goal is to provide all students with the best education for their future and to recruit and retain the best teachers and staff.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
My major qualifications include being an engaged parent with three children who attended Howard County Public Schools; a high achiever in education with Ph.D.s in physics and economics; an experienced financial industry manager, uniquely equipped to address school budget management issues; a proven problem solver throughout my career; a patient listener and go-getter, known by colleagues, friends, and neighbors in the community; and an accountable leader both at work and in the community.
What is the most important issue facing your school board and what would you do about it if elected?
Accountability is the most critical issue facing my school board. The board must be accountable for providing a long-term budget that avoids shortfalls and the need for teacher cuts, ensuring capital improvements to address issues like mold and safety concerns in schools, maintaining healthy school meals free from widespread spoilage, and delivering an education system that does not leave nearly 60% of students without math proficiency and nearly 40% without English language arts proficiency. If elected, I will ensure that the board is accountable for all our actions, thereby holding the superintendent accountable for the operation of the school system.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
One person I admire is Professor T.D. Lee of Columbia University, who passed away this August. He studied physics, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and received the Nobel Prize in 1957 as the second youngest recipient. He was also the youngest professor at Columbia University. While he may not be considered a public leader by some, he was a leader in scientific research, academics and education. He helped thousands of young people, including myself, pursue graduate education in the U.S. His example inspired me to help others achieve a good education and build a better future.
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 sounds promising on paper with its goals, but the funding presents a significant problem. Without adequate financial support, implementing the Blueprint will be challenging. In our school district, we have not received sufficient funding from the state and county to fully implement the Blueprint. This has contributed to budget shortfalls, leading to staff cuts, program reductions and increased class sizes. Many teachers have already expressed concerns about the negative impact of staff shortages and increased class sizes. If these issues are not addressed, we risk seeing lower graduation rates and a reduced percentage of high school graduates achieving college or career readiness.
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?
I support the policy limiting student cellphone use during instructional hours, as there is growing evidence of the negative impact cellphone usage has on children’s mental health and classroom instruction. Our district should implement a policy restricting student cellphone use during instruction hours. This policy should also include clear, easy-to-implement procedures for enforcement to avoid confusion and ambiguity.
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?
We can always improve student safety in our schools, and I am not satisfied with the current efforts. We need to do more to eliminate school violence and fighting and to enhance both the physical and mental well-being of our students. Food safety should also be improved to ensure that no spoiled milk or food is served to students. Repeatedly deferring school maintenance poses significant physical and health risks, as some schools are falling apart, dealing with mold, and facing cockroach and mice infestations. Additionally, overcrowding in some schools presents fire safety risks. Addressing these maintenance and overcrowding issues must be a top priority to improve student safety.
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?
I believe there are circumstances when certain books should be removed from school libraries, just as certain content has been removed from school curricula over the years. Educators, parents and students should work together to decide which books should be included or excluded from school libraries, using transparent criteria for book selection. The focus should be on choosing books that help students achieve college and career readiness, which is a key component of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
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 believe that keeping parents in the dark is not a good approach, just as it's not ideal for parents or fellow students to withhold important information from the school about a student. If there are concerns about sharing information with other parties, we should find ways to address those concerns. Schools and parents should work together as a team to educate and raise students.
