EACC

The letter below was sent to the Maryland Independent on July 26, 2006.

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Teacher Union Backs New Faces to the Board
printed Weds. July 26, 2006

Dear Editor:

Writing letters to the Editor is not a desire I wish to fulfill mostly because, I do not wish to partake in any mud slinging involving the Charles County Board of Education. However, after being misquoted on numerous occasions and after reading the article printed in Wednesday's edition, I feel compelled to set a few matters straight.

I'll begin with the article; it is true the EACC conducted interviews of the Candidates filing to run for the Board of Education. Unfortunately, the first round was conducted while I was away on a family vacation. I notified Ms. Barbara Kennedy prior to my departure and was informed it wouldn't be a problem. She clearly stated a second round of interviews was scheduled, after the July 3rd filing deadline, and would contact me then. (The letter inviting us to participate in these interviews also stated the same) Upon the return from my vacation and on two other occasions thereafter, I tried contacting the EACC leaving messages for Ms. Kennedy requesting future interview dates. My calls were never returned.

As for the questionnaire, which was sent out with the letter, it is still in my possession. The initial intention was to bring it with me to the interview, as the letter clearly stated to do.

Am I surprised by the twist the EACC tried to portray in the article on Wednesday? Not in the least. You see, this is the second time I am aware of that the EACC has tried to sabotage my efforts as a board member. Earlier in the year, Mr. Fisher himself visited several schools and announced to all staff, (not just the EACC members) "Ms. Young and Ms. Abell voted against increasing the teacher's pension." This statement is blatantly untrue! I voted to increase the teacher's pensions! When I was later informed of these comments, and questioned Mr. Fisher personally, he was adamant the information was correct. I insisted he check the minutes from the meeting; Mr. Fisher later called and apologized as he stood corrected. He subsequently stated he would not send out a retraction to all staff informing them of his inaccuracy.


In addition to shed some light on and hopefully put an end to the political tactics of a small but vocal group of EACC members who frequently attempt to misrepresent me and others on several issues, I would like to set my record straight.

I am a Christian and believe in God, he walks and guides me through my daily life.

I DO NOT BELIEVE, PROMOTE OR SUPPORT...
The teaching of creationism as a science in public schools
The use of vouchers
The banning of books
The distribution of religious books in the schools

I DO BELIEVE, PROMOTE AND SUPPORT...
An increase in teacher's salaries & retention of highly qualified teachers
Parents actively involved in their child's education
An open and transparent Board of Education
A collaborative effort at the County and State levels to relieve overcrowding in the schools
Working collaboratively with the Superintendent and staff

If anyone has questions regarding my beliefs, feel free to visit my blog at; http://abell4edu.blogspot.com/ or email me at abell4edu@verizon.net.

Finally, did I in fact believe the EACC would endorse me as a candidate for the Board of Education? No, not based on their past history...after all, I'm not a registered Democrat!

Thank you,
Jennifer Abell