Teacher Of 49 Years Running For 2nd Term On Anne Arundel School Board

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Patch invited every candidate running for the Anne Arundel County Board of Education to complete a questionnaire on their campaign priorities. We are posting stories with their unedited, verbatim responses.

Get to know District 2 candidate Robert Silkworth below.

Voters can check what district they live in at this link. Early voting runs from May 2 through May 9. The primary election is on May 14. The General Election is on Nov. 5. More information on voting locations, registration, mail-in ballots and dropbox ballots is posted here.

Name: Robert Silkworth - Incumbent (Unopposed)

District: District Two

Hometown: Anne Arundel County (Brooklyn Park/Old Mill)

Age On General Election Day: 75

Profession: Retired Teacher

Campaign Website: robertsilkworth.com

1. What are your three biggest policy priorities?

The implementation of the Maryland Blueprint, the law of our state is one of our primary concerns. Early Childhood Education, Highly Qualified Teachers, College and Career Ready, Resources and Governance. These are the pillars of the Blueprint. According to the National School Board Association, the mental health of our students and staff is a concern across the nation. Of course, we are concerned as well about that and we are focused on that. A focus on student outcomes is also essential.

We have embraced the Maryland Blueprint and we do believe that the successful implementation of the Blueprint will result in improved student outcomes for all of our KIDS.

2. What is the biggest educational issue in Anne Arundel County?

ALL students have a right to achieve their dreams in safe school environments regardless of their zip code. Our focus on implementing the Blueprint mandates will make a difference. The mental health of students and staff is an issue. We are addressing it. We can always do more.

Everyone has a responsibility when it comes to the education of our young people. We must all fulfill those responsibilities. Students must Attend school regularly with a positive Attitude. When they do so, they will Achieve! These are the three A's that do work. We must ALL BE PRESENT in the lives of our KIDS from day one until graduation.

The wealth we have in this county is not in a bank account. It is in the great group of KIDS we have in our homes, schools, and communities

3. What is the biggest educational issue in your district specifically?

The issues in Anne Arundel County for our KIDS are essentially the same as described in question #2.

District two has a great deal of school construction under way. We built a new Crofton High School and we are about to open a new Old Mill Middle South and the new Severn Run High School also known as Old Mill West.

Glen Burnie High School students deserve to have similar wonderful facilities. It is true that the brick and mortar do not make a great school. The great school is made by the great people who work and learn together within the walls of the school.

Phase One of the redistricting plan has been approved and this will guarantee that we do have overcrowded schools. Most schools will be at a capacity of about 92%. We will begin the Phase Two process next year and that will mean some additional changes to make sure that we are using our schools wisely. This will help Anne Arundel County focus more on the issue of affordable housing since none of our schools will be closed

4. How will you address the teacher shortage?

We are addressing the teacher shortage. We will continue to seek out the best highly qualified teachers for our students. We have staff dedicated to this goal and they are doing a great job. A recent job fair produce over 150 potential applicants. Some of our surrounding counties will be laying off teachers and we will be welcoming those that apply to AACPS.

We will also continue to focus on teacher retention. We have made substantial improvements to our salary structure over the past few years and we are competitive with so many of our neighboring counties. We will continue to focus on workload issues as well so that we will be able to meet the Blueprint mandate that will require teachers to teach 60% of their working time. The additional time will be a focus on planning and mentoring

5. How will you approach balancing the budget?

I will continue to advocate for the needs of our students. That is my role. We will continue to spend wisely. We will continue work within the confines of our final approved budget.

6. How will the end of pandemic-era funding affect your budgetary decisions?

We spent the pandemic-era funding wisely and we made decisions about what needed to be included in our normal funding budget for the KIDS. A good example of that is the creation of the VIRTUAL ACADEMY. It was included with the pandemic-era funding but it was also incorporated in our budget for the future for our KIDS.

Unlike some of the other LEA's we are in good shape. The relationships we built with our political friends have resulted in substantial increases in funding our schools. The Blueprint does have its' mandates and does required county and state funding. We will not be laying off staff in AACPS. In fact, we will be hiring

7. How will you approach school redistricting? If your district is part of this redistricting, what are some of your priorities?

I will approach redistricting for Phase Two the same as I did for Phase One. Redistricting means that some students will have to go to different school communities. I have confidence in all of our schools. I believe that students can realize their dreams in all of our school communities as long as they abide by the three A's ~ Attendance, Positive Attitude ~ Achievement.

We must maximize the use of the school space provided to us by the county and the state. This is critical because we cannot ask for additional construction funds if we are not using the current space we have efficiently and wisely

8. If you are an incumbent, why do you deserve another term? If you are a challenger, why are you the best candidate?

I am an incumbent. Based on my 49 year teaching service and my service as a member of the Board of Education in District Two since 2020, I believe I have earned the trust of the KIDS and the parents and stakeholders. I will continue to be non-partisan. I will continue to focus on the politics of KIDS.

9. How will you handle LGBTQ+ and racial issues brought before the school board?

ALL students are unique and deserve respect. When I taught, race, creed, color, and/or gender preference were never a focus. I accept students for the person they are.

The diversity we have in Anne Arundel County is part of the greatness we have as a school system. We celebrate the diversity and we continue to focus on student outcomes. We want all of our students to be successful and happy.

I will continue to support ALL students. I will continue to work hard so that they can live, learn and grow in to the citizens of tomorrow. I believe our future is a bright one

10. How will you handle book-banning issues brought before the school board?

We do have a good process for approval of books in AACPS. NO book should appear in our curriculum or in our libraries unless it is approved. If there is a concern about a book we do have a process. I was named chair of a special committee in 2011-2012 to investigate some parent concerns about A BRAVE NEW WORLD. As per our regs, I formed a committee which included ALL stakeholders and we read the book, reviewed the book and discussed all of the concerns. Students were the ones who made it clear to us that although there was language some disliked and although there were references to some conduct that some disliked, the students made it clear that their focus was on the message the author was trying to convey. It was unanimous that the book should not be removed from the curriculum or the library. We submitted our report to the administration and it was submitted to the central office and our findings were upheld.

We also did recognize that some parents felt strongly about their feelings against the book. We did make a recommendation to offer an option to those parents for their children to study several other books in lieu of A BRAVE NEW WORLD. Some did opt out but some did not. For me, it was a great experience. I knew that the best source of information and help in situations like that was a conversation away. Our students played a critical role.

There was no backlash from anyone then. I think that we would have had quite a backlash if we had decided to remove the book. The process did work. In general, it is not a good idea to remove books. However, the process for dealing with situations similar to a BRAVE NEW WORLD is an important and valuable one. If this were to happen again, I believe that we should handle it the same way.

11. Please tell us about yourself.

I am a 49 year veteran retired teacher who had the honor and privilege to teach in AACPS. I have also had the honor and privilege to serve as a member of the Board of Education in Anne Arundel County. I do have a twin brother who is known as Judge Silkworth, a Senior Circuit Court judge who has dedicated his career to helping citizens of this county in a different way.

12. Is there anything else we should know?

Although retired as a teacher, I continue to announce athletic events at North County High School. I have done so for many years.

I am running for a second term on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education for the KIDS!

My focus will continue to be on the politics of KIDS! I challenge every candidate to put aside any partisan politics if that is part of your campaign. Make suggestions, proposals, and promises which will help improve student outcomes and student performance. Please know that this is a full-time job for many of us. The time invested in our KIDS is well spent.