Erica McFarland

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Erica McFarland

Nonpartisan

Anne Arundel County Public Schools, District 3

Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

0

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Personal

Birthplace

Indiana, Pa.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Office Manager

Contact

Campaign website

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Personal website

Personal Facebook

Erica McFarland is a member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education in Maryland, representing District 3. She assumed office on December 2, 2024. Her current term ends on December 4, 2028.

McFarland ran for election to the Anne Arundel County Board of Education to represent District 3 in Maryland. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

McFarland completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Erica McFarland was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania. She attended the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her career experience includes working as a office manager.

Elections

2024

See also: Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maryland, elections (2024)

General election

General election for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, District 3

Erica McFarland defeated Chuck Yocum in the general election for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erica McFarland (Nonpartisan)	52.7	21,564
		Chuck Yocum (Nonpartisan)	46.6	19,085
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	288

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,937
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, District 3

Erica McFarland and Chuck Yocum defeated Julia Laws and Jamie Hurman-Cougnet in the primary for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, District 3 on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erica McFarland (Nonpartisan)	35.6	3,901
✔		Chuck Yocum (Nonpartisan)	29.2	3,199
	Submit photo	Julia Laws (Nonpartisan)	23.6	2,583
		Jamie Hurman-Cougnet (Nonpartisan)	11.5	1,262

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,945
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for McFarland in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Erica McFarland completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McFarland's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a wife and military mom to two graduates and two current students at Chesapeake High School. To truly know me and what I stand for, you must first know where my heart is. Love is what drives me to service of others, what calls me to stand up for what is right and what motivates my very nature. It’s who I am. As a parent, I expect that my child will learn their ABCs and 123s but I also expect that they will learn to share with one another, to treat each other with respect, to listen to each other, to keep an open mind, to become a good and decent human being. This is what guides me.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I wholeheartedly support our amazing educators. Teachers come into this profession because they have the heart and passion for helping our children to become well-rounded, well-educated, good human beings. I share that heart. I believe that when we give teachers the proper tools and support, student achievement follows suit.
• I believe that there isn’t one right path after graduation that fits every student. As a school system, we should encourage and support students in whichever path they choose. I support the initiatives already put in place such as high school internships, job training, military recruitment and the partnership with Anne Arundel Community College through the ECAP program which now provides free classes and materials to our high school students who wish to participate. Initiatives such as these remove financial barriers and help set our students up for success. I want to continue to explore ways to ensure that all students feel ready and confident in moving from high school graduation on to the next step.
• Care should be taken to ensure that everyone in our school system has the tools they need to be successful. With each decision, I am thoughtful in thinking about who it benefits and who might be left behind. A quality education should be afforded to everyone, regardless of their financial situation, their home life, disabilities, or any other barriers. We need to be mindful that we are not all starting from the same place, with the same tools at our disposal. Equity in education ensures that no matter where a person is starting from, each is given what is necessary to succeed. I will always be mindful to ensure equity for our students and staff.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I fully support efforts to celebrate diversity, ensure equity, and to be inclusive of all our students, teachers and their families. Every person should feel welcomed and included in our schools and be provided with the resources and tools that they need to be successful.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official should be honest, trustworthy, genuine and transparent. They should be respectful of the ideas of others and listen with the intent to learn and collaborate.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Board of Education members Board have many responsibilities, including but not limited to selecting a superintendent, appointing personnel, reviewing and enacting policies, establishing curriculum guides, advancing a legislative agenda, and best of all, communicating and meeting with the community, staff and students on matters related to education.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

At 13 years old, I wanted to earn some money and I walked in to the newspaper building and immediately got a paper route at 5 cents per paper delivered.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

As a board member, I will listen to all people and groups. Everyone deserves to be heard. Whether or not we see eye to eye, I will always be open to a discussion with the intent of learning and working together in the best interest of our students.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Every person should feel safe in our schools, regardless of race, creed, economic status, gender identity or expression, disability or nationality.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am grateful to have earned the endorsement from the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

I am very interested supporting a Grow Your Own Educator program. Programs like this attract prospective teachers in our own communities through partnerships between school districts, colleges, and community organizations. Besides providing wrap-around services and financial support, it encourages diversity in the workforce that reflects the diversity of the student population.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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