As a music teacher at Oakdale Elementary in the Frederick County Public Schools system for over 16 years, I am exactly like every other FCPS educator in knowing the joys that come from working with children each and every day of my career — and understanding the challenges faced by our staff, our schools, and our families.
That’s why — as a leader on the Frederick County Council for the past eight years — I’ve fought so hard to raise new teacher pay, keep our school construction schedule on track (and accelerate it where possible), and adopt policies to make sure that developers are paying their fair share of costs for new schools.
COVID-19 hit our students and families hard. Some students thrived with online learning. Others did not. As your next County Executive, I’m committed to robust funding for our schools to ensure they have the resources to address some of the set-backs we’ve experienced in both academic skills and social-emotional learning. And as we recover, it’s important that our North County students and those in other rural areas receive their fair share of attention and support.
As the mother of two children — Jane (3) and Jonah (6), who is now in first grade at North Frederick Elementary — I’m keenly aware of the need for quality education for our kids. It’s an awareness shared by North County families. From Wolfsville to Liberty, to Thurmont to Glade, and everywhere in between— we want to make sure our kids get a great start on their educational path as they move on through the Walkersville and Catoctin feeders.
That’s why I’m so concerned about my opponent for County Executive who would certainly take us backward. He's already announced his intention to impose a hiring freeze and make significant budget cutbacks. Have we already forgotten the tremendous negative impact we experienced within the past decade when the last group of County Commissioners held our educators, public safety professionals, and county employees without raises for years? Frederick County is still feeling the effects and remains at the bottom in Maryland in spending per student; but that short-sighted board refused to spend a dollar over what was required by state law. We can’t take a chance on any County Executive that would stop our progress.
A strong school system isn’t just good for our kids, it’s essential as our county — the fastest-growing in Maryland — writes its future. We know that a strong public school system and a well-educated workforce are at the heart of bringing business investment to Frederick County. Me must continue to attract major employers like Kite Pharma, Ellume, Kroger, and the hundreds of small businesses that have opened their doors in Frederick County during my time on the County Council.
We also know that providing career opportunities and high-paying jobs right here in Frederick County are key to keeping our crime rate low and building safer communities. When our young people are educated and engaged and enjoy choices for their future, we all benefit.
The upcoming election is extremely important. As County Executive, I’ll continue the forward progress we’ve made in education and do my best to create even more opportunities for Frederick children in the future. There will never be a better or more effective champion for Frederick County and our public school system than a teacher who has spent her career in public service to our kids and their families. With your help, we’ll keep moving our county forward– together.
Read other campaign articles by Jessica Fitzwater
(10/2022) 
