The 12 candiates competing for two open seats on the county Board of Education were given a survey to fill out by the county's Permanent Nominating Caucus, which recommends to the governor its top candidate and runner-up for each seat.
The candidates were asked five questions, including what three improvements they would make to the public school system.
Caucus members used the survey and their impressions of the candidates froma public forum Thursday night to decide which candidates to recommend for appointments to Gov. William Donald Schaefer. Their recommendations have no binding authority.
Seven candidates filled for the Edgewood/Abingdon region seat and four for the North County seat. One candidate filed at-large and could have appointed to either seat.
The questionnaire reponses from the candidates about what changes they think are needed in the school system are summarized below, as well as some background information on each candidate.
Edgewood/Abingdon
Lawrence Battaglia
Age: 73
Residence: Edgewood
L Occupation: Retired product quality manager, U.S. government
Community service: Vice president, Century Edgewood Lions Club
Improvement suggestions:
* Better training in industrial and trade skills.
* State-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms to provide computer, mathematical and science skills.
* Science and mathematical teachers must update their education, perhaps through paid sabbaticals to attend advanced seminars or courses and to count work in "state-of-the-art" industries toward acceptable training.
Thomas D. Hess
Age: 45
Residence: Abingdon
Occupation: Division director, central support services, Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital
Community Service: Member, executive board of the Emmorton Recreation Council
Improvement suggestions:
* Increased parental involvement.
* Children should be "challenged" based on their individual learning abilities.
D8 * Upgrade and maintain existing physical facilities.
Dana F. Knapp
Age: 45
Residence: Edgewood
Occupation: Pastor, Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Joppatowne
Community Service: Past president and current member, board of Edgewood Multipurpose Youth Center.
* Maintain parity of funding in all schools.
* Teaching and custodial staff should be supported more fully in terms of salary and working conditions.
* Capital improvements to existing schools should receive a higher priority in the budgeting process.
Anita Sills-Jones
Age: 39
Residence: Edgewood
Occupation: Homemaker
Community Service: President, Willoughby Woods Homeowners Association
Improvement suggestions:
* Improve student/teacher relations.
* Improve parental support.
?3 * Move educational needs to the "front burner."
Robert Paul Legg
Age: 39
Residence: Abingdon
Occupation: Attorney with Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander
Community Service: Harford Leadership Academy
Improvement suggestions:
* Individualized, site-based management at each school would provide flexibility in dealing with a diverse cultural, ethnic, geographic and economic population.
* Staff schools after hours with physical education and fine arts teachers to provide care for latchkey children.
L * Expand free and reduced-price meals to all needy children.
William C. Peck
Age: 33
Residence: Abingdon
Occupation: Information systems consultant
Community Service: Mt. Zion United Methodist Church
Improvement suggestions:
* Develop a market-driven curriculum which would teach skills and educational requirements most wanted by employers and colleges.
* Encourage more businesses to help financially support different areas of the school system.
* Fair and consistent discipline that looks for the underlying causes of disciplinary problems.
JoAnn Wigglesworth
Age: 31
Residence: Edgewood
Occupation: Captain, U.S. Army Reserves
Community Service: Harford County Disaster Action Team
Improvement suggestions:
* More parent and community involvement in schools.
* Increase the number of high school students who go to college.
* Encourage business leaders to give more scholarships to students.
North County Lee Ann Blake
Age: 36
Residence: Forest Hill
Occupation: Homemaker
Community Service: Member, board of directors Maryland Congress of PTAs
Improvement suggestions:
* Anticipate growth patterns in population to better locate new schools.
* Innovative math and science projects to expose students to the rapid changes in technology.
* Teachers should be given opportunities to enhance professional growth through continuing educational opportunities.
Sallie Turner Bunce
Age: 39
Residence: Street
Occupation: Owner JKB Press Inc.
Community Service: Vice president, Dublin PTA
Improvement suggestions:
* Overcrowding in schools might be alleviated by moving teachers from less-crowded schools to more-crowded schools.
* More parental and community involvement in the schools.
* AIDS education should begin in prekindergarten and be reinforced every year.
Judi Martin
Age: 38
Residence: Forest Hill
Occupation: Homemaker
Community Service: Math and computer volunteer, Forest Hill Elementary
Improvement suggestions:
* Improve education of gifted children by identifying them in primary grades and hiring resource teachers.
* Improve computer programs by training teachers and parent volunteers in-house.
* Improve schools by inviting local people to share their knowledge and expertise in the classrooms.
Anne Hickey Ober
Age: 39
Residence: Jarrettsville
Occupation: Director of Health Services for Villa Maria
Community Service: American Heart Association
Improvement suggestions:
* Curriculum changes should be made with more regard for the "big picture."
* Increase parental involvement.
2& * Promote school community spirit.
At large Thomas L. Fargo
Age: 45
Residence: Bel Air
Occupation: Owner, General Business Services
Community Service: Director, Harford County Chamber of Commerce
Improvement suggestions:
* Teach students how to reason.
* Teach technology as a tool to reach objectives or overcome impossible tasks.
* Encourage vocational and technical training to students who may not seek a college career.