PLATFORM
"Public education has always been important to me. I am a product of public schools from Kindergarten through Graduate School. We have the potential to have the best public schools in the State of Maryland. I want to continue to build on the Board's work to close the achievement gap and ensure we have diversity in our teaching staff."
LIST OF ISSUES
Investing in Special Education
This issue is close to my heart as I've worked as a Special Education teacher and my brother is on the autism spectrum. We must ensure Frederick County can meet the needs of all our students. Why should we send students for Special Education services out of the county? That doesn't help the student, their family, their peers or even our budget. Let's strive for the best Special Education services right here in Frederick.
Closing Achievement & Opportunity Gaps
Our public schools must ensure equity of opportunity for every child. I am committed to working with our teachers, administrators and community organizations to ensure an outstanding education for all our students. Working together we can ensure a Frederick County education is a springboard to the success for each of our youth.
Commitment to Racial Equity
I am proud to have signed an antiracism petition, authored by recent FCPS graduates. The petition highlights the need for more black voices in the curriculum, including in Social Studies, English and Science. I know my own education and my understanding of our society would have been incomplete without reading James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, for example, in my high school English classes. Reading Black authors including W.E.B. Du Bois, Kwame Nkrumah and both Nelson and Winnie Mandela in college deepened my understanding of US and World History. I look to work with district leadership to ensure that a variety of perspectives, including black voices, are centered in the curriculum.
I also welcome the petition’s call for an independent, third-party review of our hiring practices. It is my hope that any legislation passed by Frederick County Council with regard to a review of county hiring practices will include FCPS.
We have a responsibility as a school system to take concrete action on racial equity.
College & Career Readiness
We have outstanding colleges right here in Frederick County. I will work to deepen our connections with Frederick Community College, Hood College, and Mount St. Mary's University so that every High School Senior has the option of taking a class on campus. I also want to work to bring faculty into our schools to hold co-curricular events. Finally, let's encourage more of our students to get their higher education right here in Frederick.
Weekly Office Hours
My goal is to be accessible to every family in Frederick County. Each week I will hold office hours at a community establishment or school so students, parents, teachers and community members can ask questions and bring up issues that concern them.
American Sign Language (ASL)
One of the great things about Frederick County is our diversity, including being home to many people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Let's embrace this diversity by offering ASL as an elective or extra-curricular activity in more of our schools throughout Frederick County. This is one of the ways in which we can be an inclusive and supportive community.
MAKE A DONATION
Click Here to donate to my campaign.
We are also accepting donations via checks sent to:
Friends of David A. Bass
PO Box 3151
Frederick, MD 21701