Nonpartisan
Grace Rivera-Oven
Where you live: Germantown
Date of birth: March 7, 1969
Current occupation and employer:
I am the founder and the executive director of the Upcounty Hub at the Upcounty Regional Services Center. The Upcounty Hub fights food insecurity in upper Montgomery County, provides case management, and informs community members of resources for other social services. My extensive background with my public relations company has allowed me to gain experience working with high-risk youth, the court systems and State’s Attorney’s office, and Montgomery County government. My work has been focused on community outreach, political advocacy, and racial equity.
Political experience:
I was the political director for U.S. Rep. David Trone in 2017. I previously ran for Montgomery County Council at-large in 2018. I have volunteered for and consulted on numerous campaigns both county and statewide since high school.
Website: www.graceriveraoven.com
Email: grace4boe@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grace4boe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grace4boe/
Why are you running for this office?
My community advocacy goes back 35 years, including running an after-school program for high-risk youth whom I connected with mentors in the community; the program had a success rate of 90%. That experience taught me about the need for mental health services and mentoring programs for our youth, and the importance of working closely with partners to provide essential programs in-house for our students and their families. I have been involved with various PTAs, helped as a recess monitor for years, and served on many committees within our school system. If elected to the Montgomery County Board of Education I am prepared to be an advocate for every child.
What is the most important issue in this race and what plans do you have to address it?
In conjunction with improving access to mental health services, we need to close the opportunity gap by focusing on our students who are not doing well academically in Title 1 schools. We must work with the family unit as well as provide guidance, while making sure the same opportunities to take Advanced Placement classes and get internships are available to all students. The pandemic has taken a toll on our minority communities, especially among our youth. We need to ensure all barriers are overcome so that our most vulnerable youth can take advantage of our health programs and access to counseling. The county and many nonprofit organizations provide programs at no cost for our residents. It is my hope and commitment to ensure that all our school counselors and other staff know and have a referral system to all these programs.
What is one major issue that has been handled poorly and what would you have done differently?
The safety of our students and our staff is a high priority for me. It is essential that we create a truly zero-tolerance environment towards bullying and other negative behavior that has constructive disciplinary action, such as mandatory community service. My experience working in the State Attorney’s office and running an after-school program for high-risk youth has helped me understand where parents and the majority of teachers and administrators are coming from. However, having School Resource Officers in our schools is not the magic answer to keeping our students safe. We need to invest in after-school programs, counselors, restorative justice practitioners, and behavior specialists. We should not be a pipeline to the juvenile justice system, instead our pipeline should be to apprenticeships programs, community college, and four- year colleges.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
As a product of MCPS myself and the mother of three kids who attended Montgomery County Public Schools, I have great understanding of the priorities, including school safety, closing the opportunity gap, the need for universal lunches, COVID-19 pandemic recovery, socioeconomic disparities, and mental health support for students and staff. I have served in all my children’s PTAs, have created dialogue with immigrant families and MCPS, and have served on many nonprofit boards including: Interfaith Works, Casa de Maryland, Strathmore Music Center and others. I have served on committees and commissions including the Juvenile Justice Commission and actively participated in ensuring that many voices were heard when the county was developing the equity policies.
Esther Wells
Where you live: Gaithersburg
Date of birth: May 23, 1987
Current occupation and employer:
Currently, I am a Senior Tax Manager at Washington Gas Light Company. I lead the State Indirect Tax Department with a proven track record of monetizing multi-million-dollar savings opportunities. I am a Certified Public Accountant in Maryland for over 12 years. I started my career at Ernst & Young Public Accounting firm where I audited the tax provision of multi-national corporations’ financial statements.
Political experience: No political experience
Website: www.voteforesther.com
Email: voteforesther@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voteforesther
Twitter: @EstherLWells
Why are you running for this office?
I am the proud mother of two boys, a 4-year-old and a 9-year-old who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD who attends MCPS. The Board of Education’s decision to offer virtual only learning was a disservice to our students, specifically our developmentally disabled learners. I am running to keep our schools open, refocus MCPS on high academic achievement and require financial literacy courses.
What is the most important issue in this race and what specific plans do you have to address it?
Recovery from Disrupted Education: MCPS students are promoted to higher grades, though demonstrate immaturity in their proficiency, literacy, and social skills. Supporting our school system in recovery from this significant disruption is crucial. My plan is to refocus MCPS on core subjects such as math, comprehension and reading. Offer Saturday school, night school and summer school to students that need additional support. Allow teachers more time to teach and reduce the level of testing that we currently offer our students. It’s time to focus and rebuild our education system back to being best in class and nationally recognized for proficient students. An “all hands-on deck” approach to addressing mental health support for families AND teachers is needed. Normalize seeking therapy and give everyone the attention they need to be okay. We need to ensure that students have a trusted adult that will listen and act appropriately in response to what they are saying.
What is one major issue that has been handled poorly and what would you have done differently?
MCPS offered virtual only learning for all students, without regard to the needs of our developmentally disabled learners, like my son. I would have re-opened schools a lot sooner. Virtual only learning was a disservice to our students, specifically our students with disabilities. The prolonged disruption and continued mandates that serve to disrupt instead of support, has caused our children anxiety, depression, speech impediments and frustration with themselves and their schoolwork. The lifelong impacts of the disruption caused by the current leadership will last a generation without swift action to begin urgent repairs and supports.
The mental health crisis, learning loss, abnormal social development of our students, rise in disorderly conduct, community violence, among other things – was not worth it.
What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?
I am the only candidate with professional financial statement experience and can provide adequate oversight of MCPS’ operating budget and financial statement audits. I will provide needed financial oversight of this $3 billion dollar budget and communicate about the finances of this school system clearly with the community. I am the only candidate in District 1 with any teaching experience. I’ve taught Junior Achievement curriculum at various schools here in MCPS. I’ve tutored MCPS and college students in Algebra through Calculus II math courses. I was hired to tutor Business School students in advanced level Accounting courses at the University of Maryland. As your next board member, I will elevate the voice of the most vulnerable populations as a black, immigrant, female, mother of a developmentally disabled son.
