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Dinora A. Hernandez
Dinora A. Hernandez was the District 3 representative on the Prince George's County Board of Education in Maryland. She advanced from a primary election on June 24, 2014, to face incumbent Amber Waller in the general election on November 4, 2014. She won the seat in the general election. Hernandez did run for re-election in 2018.
Biography
Hernandez was the first in her family to earn a college degree when she earned her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Maryland-College Park. She also holds a J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Hernandez worked as a legislative aide for Rushern L. Baker III in the Maryland General Assembly until 2013. At the time of her tenure, Hernandez was working as a liaison to the county's Latino communities for Baker, who was the county executive for Prince George's County.[1]
Elections
2014
Peggy Higgins sought re-election against Lupi Grady in the general election on November 4, 2014. Races for District 3, 6 and 9 were on the primary ballot on June 24, 2014. Incumbent Amber Waller faced Dinora A. Hernandez and Clarence Emmanuel for the District 3 seat. Waller and Hernandez advanced to the general election. District 6 incumbent Carolyn M. Boston faced Pat Fletcher and Darin Kenley in the primary. Boston and Fletcher advanced to the general election. District 9 incumbent Sonya Williams faced Domonique A. Flowers, Johnnie R. Isaac and Denise M. Joseph in the primary. Williams and Flowers advanced to the general election.
Results
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Dinora A. Hernandez |
50.2% | 5,700 | |
| Nonpartisan | Amber Waller Incumbent | 49.4% | 5,607 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.3% | 39 | |
| Total Votes | 11,346 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election Results for Prince George's County," December 2, 2014 | ||||
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Amber Waller Incumbent |
53.4% | 2,926 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dinora A. Hernandez |
29.3% | 1,605 | |
| Nonpartisan | Clarence Emmanuel | 17.3% | 948 | |
| Total Votes | 5,479 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Prince George's County," July 16, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Hernandez reported $2,325 in contributions and $80.44 in expenditures to the Maryland State Board of Elections, leaving her campaign with $2,244.56 on hand as of June 6, 2014.[2]
Endorsements
Hernandez was endorsed by The Washington Post for the primary and general elections.[3][4]
Campaign themes
2014
Hernandez provided the following answers to questions from the League of Women Voters:
What are your qualifications and how does your background prepare you for this office?
| “ | I am a proud product of the PGCPS (K-12) with a passion to improve the schools that made who I am. As a lawyer, the training I received in law enables me to put issues into context, ask necessary questions, and align key interests. As legislative aide, I obtained practical experience in the development of legislation. As Latino Liaison, I assess and address issues of concern throughout the County.[5] | ” |
| —Voter 411 Voting Guide (2014)[6] | ||
What do you consider the county’s two most pressing education issues and how would you address them?
| “ | Early Childhood Education and Teacher Retention. I believe that universal pre-kindergarten is vital to the success of our students - leveling the playing field to make for a stronger student base and academic achievement. Teacher retention is a challenge that can be addressed by investing in our educators through career ladder type system and comparable pay. I will advocate for increased funding.[5] | ” |
| —Voter 411 Voting Guide (2014)[6] | ||
Specify the policies you would advance to promote optimum working relations between the Board of Education (BOE) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in order to provide opportunity for every county public school student to graduate – college or/and workforce ready?
| “ | Collaboration and communication among the BOE and CEO will be key to being effective, efficient and to act in the best interest of students. BOE structure and CEO authority has changed due to legislation in 2013. Therefore, everyone must understand their roles for ease of communication. Establishing committees by subject matter expertise or interest will make for a more collaborative environment.[5] | ” |
| —Voter 411 Voting Guide (2014)[6] | ||
What three capital improvement projects for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) would you recommend as top priorities for the next budget?
| “ | A comprehensive strategic modernization plan needs to be put in place to address county-wide capital improvement projects that takes into account factors such as building capacity and age. As school board member, I will advocate for District 3 for the renovations of University Park ES and Thomas S. Stone ES. As well as expansion/construction for the overcrowding at Mary Harris Mother Jones ES.[5] | ” |
| —Voter 411 Voting Guide (2014)[6] | ||
What policies would you advance for involvement of parents and communities in the school success of every student?
| “ | Increasing the number of parent liaisons who are from the community and are culturally sensitive will effectively help parents navigate the school system. I will work to establish programs to educate our parents about how they can be leaders and be more engaged in their child's education. If parents are given the proper tools to advocate, then more parents would be willing to become more involved.[5] | ” |
| —Voter 411 Voting Guide (2014)[6] | ||
How would you improve communication between the Board of Education, school administration, parents and the community especially with changing demographics in Prince George’s County?
| “ | District 3 is one of the most diverse districts in the County. I commend CEO Maxwell in proposing more parent liaisons and certainly think it is important to have them in communities with limited english proficiency. There should also be more training done to make school staff and administrators more culturally aware and sensitive to be able to effectively communicate with our diverse community.[5] | ” |
| —Voter 411 Voting Guide (2014)[6] | ||
Why do you believe families in Prince George’s County are sending their children to private schools? What can be done to encourage families to send their children to Prince George’s County Public Schools?
| “ | I believe families are sending their children to private schools on the perception that public schools are unsafe or that they do not provide the same resources, opportunities or access. More needs to be done to assess why families decide to enroll their children in private schools. As board member, I will work to help rebrand PGCPS and advocate for more programs to attract families and students.[5] | ” |
| —Voter 411 Voting Guide (2014)[6] | ||
See also
- Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland
- Prince George's County Public Schools elections (2014)
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Prince George's County Public Schools
- Office website
- Campaign website
Footnotes
- ↑ Washington Post, "Baker taps Hernandez to be his first Latino liaison after outcry over schools appointees," October 10, 2013
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports," accessed May 22, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "For Prince George's school board," June 10, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "The Post’s choices for Prince George’s school board," October 7, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Vote 411 Voting Guide, "Prince George's County Board of Education District 3," accessed October 22, 2014
| 2014 Prince George's County Public Schools Elections | |
| Upper Marlboro, Maryland | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 2: • Lupi Grady • Peggy Higgins District 3: • Clarence Emmanuel • Dinora A. Hernandez • Amber Waller |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
