The 5 Pillars, Evidence-Based

Every position Brenda holds is grounded in research, data, and documented MCPS failures.

MCPS spends $3.78 billion a year.

Only 22% of students pass Algebra I.

54.9% of Grade 3 students read at grade level.

50.4% are proficient in math.

This is not a funding problem. It is a leadership problem.

PILLAR 1: Rebuild the Foundation of Academic Excellence

Every child deserves a rigorous education — regardless of zip code, income, or background.

Grade-appropriate assignments are being denied to most students

The Opportunity Myth (TNTP) — discussed at a joint MCCPTA/MCPS meeting — found that students spend the majority of class time on below-grade-level work, and those given grade-appropriate assignments consistently outperform peers who aren’t. See the full report and MCCPTA Resolutions page for parent-led advocacy on curriculum standards.

Knowledge-rich curriculum and whole books build real literacy

Karen Vaites documents how book-rich, knowledge-rich curriculum builds the vocabulary and background knowledge students need — and how Southern Surge states (Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama) used these approaches to dramatically improve reading scores.

Explicit math instruction is proven to work

Vanderbilt’s IRIS Center documents the strong evidence base for explicit, systematic math instruction — used by the world’s highest-performing school systems. Only 22% of MCPS students pass Algebra I.

Chromebooks are harming learning — parents and MCCPTA agree

MCCPTA Curriculum Committee Chair Evelyn Chung championed the MCCPTA Digital Balance Resolution (January 24, 2023), calling on MCPS to systematically limit screen time. As Bethesda Magazine reported in January 2026, MCPS has yet to fully act. The Curriculum Insight Project makes the case for returning to print-based instruction.

Illiteracy is the true school-to-prison pipeline

Research shows 85% of juveniles in the justice system are functionally illiterate. Reading Partners documents that high school dropouts are 63 times more likely to be incarcerated than college graduates. Teaching every child to read is the most powerful anti-crime investment we can make.

MCPS Data: 22% pass Algebra I  •  54.9% Grade 3 reading proficient  •  50.4% Grade 3 math proficient

PILLAR 2: Prioritize Safety

Safe buildings produce focused students. Crumbling ones produce distracted ones.

SROs work — and MCPS principals have said so on the record

FOP Lodge 35 President Holland’s op-ed makes the case that politics must be removed from school safety. MCPS principals formally requested SROs be retained in December 2020. A student was shot at Wootton in February 2026. A gun was found at Gaithersburg High. The Community Engagement Officer was absent from Wootton during the shooting — proof non-dedicated officers are insufficient.

The newly-revised Student Code of Conduct must be enforced consistently

The 2025-26 MCPS Student Code of Conduct sets clearer expectations. Consistent, equitable enforcement is what makes a code real — not a document.

A Teachers’ Bill of Rights raises academic scores

Louisiana and Alabama passed Teachers’ Bill of Rights laws and are the only two states to surpass their pre-pandemic academic scores. Wisconsin’s AB 614 — modeled on those laws — was sent to the Governor on March 26, 2026. Weak discipline is one of the leading causes of teacher attrition.

Infrastructure failures are a safety and learning crisis

Mold, collapsing ceilings, failing plumbing — Magruder’s documented facility crisis is one of dozens of deferred maintenance failures across MCPS. Students cannot concentrate in unsafe, crumbling buildings. Safe buildings produce focused students.

PILLAR 3: Boost Morale Among Teachers

Teachers must be masters of their content. Their knowledge is students’ greatest resource.

Knowledge-rich curriculum boosts teacher performance and student scores

A University of Virginia study found that knowledge-rich curriculum significantly boosts reading scores — and that teachers using it report greater professional satisfaction and reduced burnout.

Teacher content mastery drives student outcomes

Research from Edthena shows a direct link between teacher content knowledge and student learning gains. Targeted professional development in content — not ideology — retains great educators and improves instruction.

Classrooms focused on excellence outperform those focused on controversy

AEI’s analysis of recent Supreme Court precedent affirms that parents — not schools — hold the primary right to shape children’s values. Teachers who focus on content build stronger family relationships and achieve better instructional outcomes.

Teachers deserve to be heard by the Board they work for

Brenda will visit classrooms, hold open forums, and meet one-on-one with teachers. She will also advocate for fully equipped schools — functioning copiers, printers, and instructional materials — because teachers cannot do their best work in buildings that don’t work.

PILLAR 4: Ensure Responsible Resource Allocation

$3.78 billion should reach students — not bureaucracy.

The BOE has reduced accountability to near zero

Business meetings dropped from 24 to 12 per year. All major spending shifted to consent agendas. $10.58 million was approved on January 22, 2026 without contract review or public discussion. This is documented. It must stop.

Unilateral pilots bypass community consent

Recent MCPS pilots were implemented without Board approval or community input — against the Montgomery County Taxpayers League’s longstanding advocacy for accountable governance.

Union appropriations have gone unscrutinized for too long

MCEA’s demands for unscrutinized appropriations have drained classroom resources. Electric bus lease costs jumped from $16.4M to $24.3M in FY2026 — a contract deemed illegal by the Maryland State Board of Education.

Every dollar must be tied to student outcomes

Brenda will advocate for performance metrics on all future MCPS budgets, elimination of Central Office redundancies, and urgent infrastructure investment so savings flow back to classrooms, teachers, and buildings.

PILLAR 5: Respect Parental Involvement & Community Engagement

Parents are not an afterthought. They are the most important stakeholders in their children’s education.

Neighborhood schools are community anchors — not assets to be relocated

Save Wootton is not a single-issue campaign — it is a referendum on whether the Board listens to parents at all. The same pattern affected Magruder, Wheaton Woods, and Richard Montgomery families. Top-down decisions without community input destroy what communities have built over decades.

Local leaders offered workable alternatives — and were ignored

Rockville City Councilmember Adam Van Grack, Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman, Mayor Monique Ashton, and State Senator Cheryl Kagan all formally supported using Crown as a temporary holding school. The Board proceeded anyway on March 26, 2026.

The rubber-stamping is fully documented

Read Brenda’s post: “Your Voice, Silenced” — a documented account of how the MCEA-endorsed Board approved the superintendent’s recommendation over the objections of parents, PTAs, local leaders, and community coalitions across the county.

Genuine engagement requires outreach and real timelines

Check-the-box surveys are not community input. MCCPTA passed a formal resolution in October 2025 calling for at least a one-year delay on program changes. Their concerns were never addressed.

Parents have the right to guide their children’s moral compass

Respecting parental rights is not a partisan position — it is a founding principle of American democracy and a cornerstone of Brenda’s platform.

For Brenda’s full testimony on the Regional Boundary Analysis and Secondary Programs vote, see her March 26, 2026 Board testimony.