Nancy Navarro announces BOE candidacy

Nancy Navarro, a current member of Montgomery County Public Schools' Board of Education (BOE), formally announced her candidacy in the upcoming election for the District 5 seat at the East County Community Center in Silver Spring, on April 22.

Various people from all over the community, including Blair senior Sebastian Johnson, who is the current Student Member of the Board, and current BOE District 4 member Valerie Ervin were in attendance. Navarro, who was appointed to the District 5 position last year, has served for one year and four months. This will be the first year she is running a campaign.

According to Navarro, who is the second ever Latina BOE member, her candidacy for the District 5 seat would open up new opportunities for the Montgomery County community to be represented more equally. "We need to allow leaders of the different communities to be a part of the decision in this county," she said. "I want to pave the way for the future generations so that they feel comfortable that [Montgomery County] is their place as well."

In particular, she focused on middle school reforms as well as issues of issues of equity in MCPS. "I'm really pleased [with the middle school reforms]…We have made amazing stride on leaderships," she said.

Despite the middle school reforms, which have sought to improve both regular and Magnet schools, Navarro said that there have been disturbing demographic shifts which she would like to address in her possible future term. "I think the disparity and the achievement gap are things we can't really take our time with. We can't be patient anymore. I'm looking at the High School Assessments in 2009 for example, and I see this disparity," she said. "When I look at these disparities, I'm very concerned. I'm looking at how we can expand throughout the system the real capacity to provide rigorous curriculum with support for everyone," she said.

Navarro stated that she encourages anyone, not just Latino students, to work on the campaign. "I really want to involve our students in this campaign," she said. "I want them to feel excited about being a part of this process."

She also said that while District 5 only covers a part of the Montgomery County, everyone is still supposed to vote for each District.