Cynthia Foley
Board of Education Candidates 2008: Cynthia Foley
By Katie V. Jones
Posted 10/23/08
Cynthia Foley
Residence: Westminster
Age: 52
Marital status: Married 27 years
Children: Four children; two are graduates of Carroll County schools, two
still enrolled.
Education: Graduated from Woodlawn High School and graduated from Catonsville Community College in 1979 with a degree in mental health.
Two seats are open on the Carroll County Board of Education, and in the Nov. 4 General Election voters will be asked to vote for two from a field of four. Candidates include incumbent Cynthia Foley of Westminster, write-in candidate and incumbent Virginia Harrison of Sykesville, Jeffrey Morse of Taneytown and Jennifer Seidel of Mount Airy. Barry Potts of Manchester had been selected in the primary this past spring to be part of the field, but he has withdrawn from the race, and his name will not be on the ballot.
The following are profiles of each candidate and complete a question-and-answer session conducted with The Eagle.
Cynthia Foley 52, has lived in Carroll County almost 26 years with her husband and four children. She has one child in graduate school, one in college and two in high school at Winters Mill.
Born in the Baltimore area, she graduated from Woodlawn High School and attended Catonsville Community College.
She has been on Carroll County’s Board of Education for four years. She describes herself as a full-time mom — a position that she says makes it easier to do all the reading, research and phone calls necessary to look at issues.
Of her top priority for a new term, she said the school system’s budget will be the driving force.
“It’s the money, the finances. The whole world is in a financial crisis,” she said. “We don’t have a choice, it is our top priority. It effects everything we do.”
Foley says test scores in Carroll bear out the fact that all students are doing well regardless of their facilities. Still, she says construction projects planned in Carroll will make sure all students have a good school environment.
“The buildings should all be comparable,” she said.
One of the big project on the horizon is the South Carroll High School Fine Arts wing addition. “I am so excited about that,” said Foley. “I can’t wait for that to be done.”
Foley is a strong believer in the county’s Career and Technology program, noting that many students flourish under its emphasis of technology and job skills.
And she notes that students face a lot of pressure these days, and that administrators need to be mindful of that.
“We really have to watch (students’) workload,” she said. “We’re giving them something new ... we really need to look and what we can take away that is no longer needed or necessary.”
Foley said she doesn’t know which way the slots issue will go for Maryland, but she’s a bit leery of what much money will actually come to the counties through slots.
“Yes we are losing money (to other states, but) I’ve yet to hear how much is being dedicated to the education fund,” she said. “There’s a funny catch — regardless what percentage is dedicated, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is extra. There are no guarantees. It is an ethical, moral issue up to each individual voter.”
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What would be your top priority as a Board of Education member?
It’s the money, the finances. The whole world is in a financial crisis. We don’t have a choice, it is our top priority. It effects every single thing we do.
How important is it to have all schools on the same technological and structural level, and how can the school system achieve this?
They are working on that, technology wise. Hopefully, in a few years, one teacher in one high school be able to work at the same time in sort of a classroom setting but in different schools. If you have a course and don’t have enough (students) and do across the county, than that course can be offered (via computer) instead of passed over or offered every other year. We have a lot of upper level courses, AP courses, offered every other year.
The buildings should all be compare. Yes, we have very new high schools and very old high schools. For what we have seen and what we have learned, all are comparable. Granted some older (schools) need modernization. Westminster High School needs a new HVAC. Of course if that would go up, we have to find the money. South Carroll Fine Arts wing - I am so excited about that. I can’t wait for that to be done.
The test scores are all very similar no matter what school they’re in. No school or student is missing something simply because in an older building.
What’s the biggest challenge facing Carroll County Public Schools regarding standardized testing?
Of course, needing the adequate yearly progress for the No Child Left Behind, that’s always a challenge and a struggle but we always do very well with that. One of the biggest things is the HSAs this year, this is the first graduate class to needing it to pass Tend to do very well in that area, also. That said, there are still some that do not. Of course, that’s up in the air, too, as state board is looking at that also. Kind of hanging there. What direction are they taking us in with the high school assessments.
Are you in favor of the county paying for school construction to address overcrowding even before it meets state criteria?
I did not make that decision (for Manchester Valley). I did ask them to hold, not stop, the project for one year to be sure not just a fluke or something that we were seeing, the student population decrease. Only a guess, people can’t afford to move in and out the way they were a couple of years ago. I’m thinking it is going to be a while before we see the student population increase ... in any area. Maybe the southern area won’t have such a tough time with its proximity to the city.
Middle schools are our biggest problem. We do teams. The states don’t, so they (middle schools) don’t qualify (for funding under the state formula).
Do you agree with the recent changes in the school system’s policy regarding constructive possession — dealing with student behavior outside of the school setting?
Absolutely. It created a lot more problems and work. A lot of people in the
school community don’t understand how it worked. If a child had been arrested or got a citation for under-age drinking or drugs, we could do absolutely nothing. Nothing. The only time we could enforce constructive possession was if a student came in Monday bragging about a party and a teacher overheard and turned it over to the school saying ‘I’m hearing this,’ and they would have investigated. It got to a point that a vast majority of our high schoolers knew that all they had to do was lie and they didn’t get punished. Those who did come in and said yes we did, they were the ones dealt the punishment.
It took a lot of time and energy investigating these things. My own personal belief, if it is a Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon, it’s the parents’ responsibility. ... But what we were doing a lot of the times, was putting them on the fence and taking away their ability to punish. Of course, it only had to do with those doing extracurricular activities those who did not, nothing.
The biggest problem was the community misunderstanding exactly what was changed, because they think that the kids are doing drugs and we’re saying it is OK. It isn’t. If they are caught at school or at a school activity doing drugs, than they must pay the piper.
I don’t foresee anyone ever eliminating that. That would be crazy. All the kids would run amuck.
Do you think there are too many pressures on students today, and if so what can the Board of Education do to help?
Yes. ... It’s not unique to our county. Children are under a lot of stress, especially in performing in high school that’s where the biggest stress is.
Depends on where you live how all-day kindergarten affects the children. I think in some places where they are hardest hit by the economy, it is probably nice to have a place to be all day with meals, attention. In our particular county, don’t feel (all-day K) is necessary. There was no statistical data that showed our students would benefit.
To go to all-day you have to include specials and art. A lot of parents upset about this because they didn’t want this free day care. They wanted the school to just teach the kindergarten curriculum.
Really, when you look at it by the time you add in all the specials and lunch got only 20 more minutes curriculum. That was a big expense. In my opinion, I agreed with our board it was not necessary for our county. They literally moved a lot of the first grade curriculum into kindergarten years ago. By the time you get to middle school they push to get Algebra done in seventh grade.
First it was eighth grade. Now seventh grade. One of their goals was to have every single student taking one AP course.
For a long time, and they still do, we stress a lot of kids out by saying every single child has to go to college. I am not an advocate for that.
There are many avenues and many jobs in our world that do not require it. That is why I am an advocate for Career and Technology. Two things to think about. Every single thing you do in a day has technology involved in it. It is not vocational school anymore. The second thing I want everyone to know is that Career and Technology produces good paying jobs that cannot be out-sourced. America needs to think about and Carroll County needs to think about that when we prepare for our future.
A lot of people (are) ... fighting for Mount Airy Middle School renovation and modernization. Unfortunately they are saying we don’t need a new Career and Technology Center. I wish they would just consider those two things. By golly, I’m not saying Mount Airy doesn’t need renovations.
What’s the highest priority to help teachers cope with the demands of the classroom?
We say this over and over again. We really have to watch their workload.
If we’re giving them something new, whether it is us, the state or the federal government, we really need to look and what we can take away that is no longer needed or necessary. It is the workload. We really need to pay close attention to that.
Because they are high stakes, whether it is No Child Left Behind or NAS. It depends on the teacher and individual classes how much further they can delve into other areas.
Do you support slot machines as a mechanism for education funding?
I don’t have an answer. I’m aware we have citizens that go over to Connecticut and Pennsylvania and, yes, we are losing money there. Other side, closer brings a lot more people who are going to be questionable. I’m hanging in the middle. I’ve yet to hear how much is being dedicated to the education fund. There’s a funny catch. Regardless what percentage is dedicated, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is extra. There are no guarantees. It is an ethical, moral issue up to each individual voter.
How can the Board of Education provide for changing demographics of Carroll County Public Schools?
We already do provide. We keep up with English Language learners. Wonderful set of teachers, too. I’m always impressed when I meet with them. The minority percentage of our population is so low, it is sometimes hard to see a particular problem. A lot of the schools have cultural days.
It is difficult. We have a large county with a very small diverse population spread out.
What was your favorite school lunch?
Mother always made me pack. My son said Westminster High had a good chicken
sandwich. Pizza was number one for all my others.
Residence: Westminster
Age: 52
Marital status: Married 27 years
Children: Four children; two are graduates of Carroll County schools, two
still enrolled.
Education: Graduated from Woodlawn High School and graduated from Catonsville Community College in 1979 with a degree in mental health.
Two seats are open on the Carroll County Board of Education, and in the Nov. 4 General Election voters will be asked to vote for two from a field of four. Candidates include incumbent Cynthia Foley of Westminster, write-in candidate and incumbent Virginia Harrison of Sykesville, Jeffrey Morse of Taneytown and Jennifer Seidel of Mount Airy. Barry Potts of Manchester had been selected in the primary this past spring to be part of the field, but he has withdrawn from the race, and his name will not be on the ballot.
The following are profiles of each candidate and complete a question-and-answer session conducted with The Eagle.
Cynthia Foley 52, has lived in Carroll County almost 26 years with her husband and four children. She has one child in graduate school, one in college and two in high school at Winters Mill.
Born in the Baltimore area, she graduated from Woodlawn High School and attended Catonsville Community College.
She has been on Carroll County’s Board of Education for four years. She describes herself as a full-time mom — a position that she says makes it easier to do all the reading, research and phone calls necessary to look at issues.
Of her top priority for a new term, she said the school system’s budget will be the driving force.
“It’s the money, the finances. The whole world is in a financial crisis,” she said. “We don’t have a choice, it is our top priority. It effects everything we do.”
Foley says test scores in Carroll bear out the fact that all students are doing well regardless of their facilities. Still, she says construction projects planned in Carroll will make sure all students have a good school environment.
“The buildings should all be comparable,” she said.
One of the big project on the horizon is the South Carroll High School Fine Arts wing addition. “I am so excited about that,” said Foley. “I can’t wait for that to be done.”
Foley is a strong believer in the county’s Career and Technology program, noting that many students flourish under its emphasis of technology and job skills.
And she notes that students face a lot of pressure these days, and that administrators need to be mindful of that.
“We really have to watch (students’) workload,” she said. “We’re giving them something new ... we really need to look and what we can take away that is no longer needed or necessary.”
Foley said she doesn’t know which way the slots issue will go for Maryland, but she’s a bit leery of what much money will actually come to the counties through slots.
“Yes we are losing money (to other states, but) I’ve yet to hear how much is being dedicated to the education fund,” she said. “There’s a funny catch — regardless what percentage is dedicated, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is extra. There are no guarantees. It is an ethical, moral issue up to each individual voter.”
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What would be your top priority as a Board of Education member?
It’s the money, the finances. The whole world is in a financial crisis. We don’t have a choice, it is our top priority. It effects every single thing we do.
How important is it to have all schools on the same technological and structural level, and how can the school system achieve this?
They are working on that, technology wise. Hopefully, in a few years, one teacher in one high school be able to work at the same time in sort of a classroom setting but in different schools. If you have a course and don’t have enough (students) and do across the county, than that course can be offered (via computer) instead of passed over or offered every other year. We have a lot of upper level courses, AP courses, offered every other year.
The buildings should all be compare. Yes, we have very new high schools and very old high schools. For what we have seen and what we have learned, all are comparable. Granted some older (schools) need modernization. Westminster High School needs a new HVAC. Of course if that would go up, we have to find the money. South Carroll Fine Arts wing - I am so excited about that. I can’t wait for that to be done.
The test scores are all very similar no matter what school they’re in. No school or student is missing something simply because in an older building.
What’s the biggest challenge facing Carroll County Public Schools regarding standardized testing?
Of course, needing the adequate yearly progress for the No Child Left Behind, that’s always a challenge and a struggle but we always do very well with that. One of the biggest things is the HSAs this year, this is the first graduate class to needing it to pass Tend to do very well in that area, also. That said, there are still some that do not. Of course, that’s up in the air, too, as state board is looking at that also. Kind of hanging there. What direction are they taking us in with the high school assessments.
Are you in favor of the county paying for school construction to address overcrowding even before it meets state criteria?
I did not make that decision (for Manchester Valley). I did ask them to hold, not stop, the project for one year to be sure not just a fluke or something that we were seeing, the student population decrease. Only a guess, people can’t afford to move in and out the way they were a couple of years ago. I’m thinking it is going to be a while before we see the student population increase ... in any area. Maybe the southern area won’t have such a tough time with its proximity to the city.
Middle schools are our biggest problem. We do teams. The states don’t, so they (middle schools) don’t qualify (for funding under the state formula).
Do you agree with the recent changes in the school system’s policy regarding constructive possession — dealing with student behavior outside of the school setting?
Absolutely. It created a lot more problems and work. A lot of people in the
school community don’t understand how it worked. If a child had been arrested or got a citation for under-age drinking or drugs, we could do absolutely nothing. Nothing. The only time we could enforce constructive possession was if a student came in Monday bragging about a party and a teacher overheard and turned it over to the school saying ‘I’m hearing this,’ and they would have investigated. It got to a point that a vast majority of our high schoolers knew that all they had to do was lie and they didn’t get punished. Those who did come in and said yes we did, they were the ones dealt the punishment.
It took a lot of time and energy investigating these things. My own personal belief, if it is a Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon, it’s the parents’ responsibility. ... But what we were doing a lot of the times, was putting them on the fence and taking away their ability to punish. Of course, it only had to do with those doing extracurricular activities those who did not, nothing.
The biggest problem was the community misunderstanding exactly what was changed, because they think that the kids are doing drugs and we’re saying it is OK. It isn’t. If they are caught at school or at a school activity doing drugs, than they must pay the piper.
I don’t foresee anyone ever eliminating that. That would be crazy. All the kids would run amuck.
Do you think there are too many pressures on students today, and if so what can the Board of Education do to help?
Yes. ... It’s not unique to our county. Children are under a lot of stress, especially in performing in high school that’s where the biggest stress is.
Depends on where you live how all-day kindergarten affects the children. I think in some places where they are hardest hit by the economy, it is probably nice to have a place to be all day with meals, attention. In our particular county, don’t feel (all-day K) is necessary. There was no statistical data that showed our students would benefit.
To go to all-day you have to include specials and art. A lot of parents upset about this because they didn’t want this free day care. They wanted the school to just teach the kindergarten curriculum.
Really, when you look at it by the time you add in all the specials and lunch got only 20 more minutes curriculum. That was a big expense. In my opinion, I agreed with our board it was not necessary for our county. They literally moved a lot of the first grade curriculum into kindergarten years ago. By the time you get to middle school they push to get Algebra done in seventh grade.
First it was eighth grade. Now seventh grade. One of their goals was to have every single student taking one AP course.
For a long time, and they still do, we stress a lot of kids out by saying every single child has to go to college. I am not an advocate for that.
There are many avenues and many jobs in our world that do not require it. That is why I am an advocate for Career and Technology. Two things to think about. Every single thing you do in a day has technology involved in it. It is not vocational school anymore. The second thing I want everyone to know is that Career and Technology produces good paying jobs that cannot be out-sourced. America needs to think about and Carroll County needs to think about that when we prepare for our future.
A lot of people (are) ... fighting for Mount Airy Middle School renovation and modernization. Unfortunately they are saying we don’t need a new Career and Technology Center. I wish they would just consider those two things. By golly, I’m not saying Mount Airy doesn’t need renovations.
What’s the highest priority to help teachers cope with the demands of the classroom?
We say this over and over again. We really have to watch their workload.
If we’re giving them something new, whether it is us, the state or the federal government, we really need to look and what we can take away that is no longer needed or necessary. It is the workload. We really need to pay close attention to that.
Because they are high stakes, whether it is No Child Left Behind or NAS. It depends on the teacher and individual classes how much further they can delve into other areas.
Do you support slot machines as a mechanism for education funding?
I don’t have an answer. I’m aware we have citizens that go over to Connecticut and Pennsylvania and, yes, we are losing money there. Other side, closer brings a lot more people who are going to be questionable. I’m hanging in the middle. I’ve yet to hear how much is being dedicated to the education fund. There’s a funny catch. Regardless what percentage is dedicated, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is extra. There are no guarantees. It is an ethical, moral issue up to each individual voter.
How can the Board of Education provide for changing demographics of Carroll County Public Schools?
We already do provide. We keep up with English Language learners. Wonderful set of teachers, too. I’m always impressed when I meet with them. The minority percentage of our population is so low, it is sometimes hard to see a particular problem. A lot of the schools have cultural days.
It is difficult. We have a large county with a very small diverse population spread out.
What was your favorite school lunch?
Mother always made me pack. My son said Westminster High had a good chicken
sandwich. Pizza was number one for all my others.
user comments (0)
related articles
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement