Fryar earned his B.S. in communications from Southern Connecticut State University in 1991, his M.S. in education from Southern Connecticut State University in 1994, his J.D. from Quinnipiac University, and his MBA from the University of Connecticut. His professional experience includes working as a teacher, social worker, curriculum specialist, attorney, administrator, and advocate. He served in the United States Army.[1][2]
Since incumbent Rebecca Smondrowski and Michael Fryar were unopposed in the June 2, 2020, primary election, both candidates automatically advanced to the general election.
Michael Fryar completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Fryar's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Expand full day pre-K. Along with proper nutrition and a supportive atmosphere the dramatic impact this program has on not just our children but our society is critical.
Expand school offerings, particularly magnet, trade and charter schools. For too long Montgomery County has focused on a single path that impacts a small population of our children. The county has demonstrated time and again it cannot rise to the challenge of our most vulnerable and at-risk youth. It has shown time and again that it will not accept that there are children that want to follow other paths, or with interests outside the ones that MCPS wants kids to have. Parents and children need choices in their schooling to build a thriving community.
Eliminate upper administration in favor of more teachers, social workers, and paraprofessionals. We need to be more focused on our core mission – educating children. This will only happen when we support every building level professional in every school and remember that they are the top of the hierarchy and MCPS is there only as support for them. Too many administrators have forgotten that they are not in charge – they are merely support staff to the mission.
Commitment to standing up to bullies to assist those that are unable to rise to the challenge at that moment. People don’t need heroes to protect them forever. We all have our strengths and that strength comes out for the people we protect. But sometimes we lose the will to fight for ourselves. Every person has their moment when we are tired, run down, distracted, or just overwhelmed. It’s at those moments we need people who are willing and able to step forward and assist us in standing up to bullies, antagonists, predators or others who want to take advantage.
Toss-up between John Fremont and Sir Richard Francis Burton. Both were intellectual men of action who lived lives of conviction, but with contradictory passions. They were unafraid to stand for key issues, Fremont was an abolitionist who stepped aside for Lincoln to run for President, Burton for his stand against colonialism and recognition of the value of non-British art and literature.
Commitment to standing up to bullies to assist those that are unable to rise to the challenge at that moment. People don’t need heroes to protect them forever. We all have our strengths and that strength comes out for the people we protect. But sometimes we lose the will to fight for ourselves. Every person has their moment when we are tired, run down, distracted, or just overwhelmed. It’s at those moments we need people who are willing and able to step forward and assist us in standing up to bullies, antagonists, predators or others who want to take advantage.
Honesty, clear communication, active listening skills, and a commitment to core ideals is what makes for a great leader. But even then, the first rule of leadership is that you are only as strong as your followers. Once you lose the faith of your followers, then you are no longer a leader, just an individual with an opinion. While not everyone may agree or even respect a position you take, at the least a constituent should understand and respect your reasoning and be able to explain it in their own words.
Michael graduated from high school at 15 and opened a small hobby store while he figured out if continuing college was any interest. The store provided Michael with an enormous experience in life, including strategic and critical thinking, the importance of ensuring a positive customer experience, the importance of creativity, and market dynamics.
Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society - It's a positive approach to humanity and our history that is very rarely taken, but quite profound.
By making myself available for conversations, meetings, and listening sessions. PTA's, parents groups, advocacy groups, anyone with direct contact to children who have something to say.
By making myself available for conversations, meetings, and listening sessions.
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.
Note: Fryar submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on April 28, 2022.
Michael Fryar is a father of 3 with two children in Montgomery County Public School. He has been working to bring attention to bad decision making, harmful practices, and poor financial decision making by MCPS and the current Board of Education. Fryar's professional experience includes 30+ years working as a classroom teacher, a social worker, a curriculum specialist, an attorney, administrator, and advocate.
Expand full day pre-K. Along with proper nutrition and a supportive atmosphere the dramatic impact this program has on not just our children but our society is critical.
Expand school offerings, particularly magnet, trade and charter schools. For too long Montgomery County has focused on a single path that impacts a small population of our children. The county has demonstrated time and again it cannot rise to the challenge of our most vulnerable and at-risk youth. It has shown time and again that it will not accept that there are children that want to follow other paths, or with interests outside the ones that MCPS wants kids to have. Parents and children need choices in their schooling to build a thriving community.
Eliminate upper administration in favor of more teachers, social workers, and paraprofessionals. We need to be more focused on our core mission – educating children. This will only happen when we support every building level professional in every school and remember that they are the top of the hierarchy and MCPS is there only as support for them. Too many administrators have forgotten that they are not in charge – they are merely support staff to the mission.
I have spent the past 15 years working specifically with impoverished children, families and communities to work towards equal access to education and legal assistance. I am currently volunteering with Family Services, Inc. (Sheppard Pratt Health System) teaching an ESL course, am providing pro bono legal services through the Montgomery County Bar Pro Bono Program, and volunteer through the Washington Council of Lawyers.
I also serve on the Board of Directors as Treasurer for Washington Improv Theater, a non-profit program that, as part of its mission statement, offers education and training throughout Washington,. D.C. to at-risk populations including the homeless, children who are victims of abuse and neglect, and adult victims of violent crimes to find their voices through the art of improvisation.
John C. Fremont - the first choice by the newly founded Republican Party who voluntarily stepped aside so that Lincoln could become the presidential candidate. He was a military leader, abolitionist and explorer who defended the rights of Native Americans.
I opened a retail store with my mother's support when I was 16. It was a hobby store that focused on comic books and games and a perfect business for a teenager in the 80's. The store was later sold when we both left Louisiana.
The Board of Education is the supervisor of the Superintendent, as a Board is to a CEO. It sets policy, guides the county, hears grievances with regard to education, and holds meetings to listen to stakeholders.
One of the reasons there is so much anxiety and confusion is because communication by the current board is selective and not comprehensive. It does not mean that accurate information is not conveyed, just not all information, or a comprehensive amount of information and this leads to assumptions or misinformation instead of the message.
I intend to regularly host open meetings for parents and children throughout District 2 (and beyond if requested) to listen to concerns, respond to questions and gather ideas directly from constituents.
I also intend to establish a direct line of communication with the County Council. As a Board of Education member, I believe that it is my role to educate the council on issues affecting MCPS and its stakeholders and to ensure that the decisions made by the council are made in an informed fashion, knowing the impacts they may have on the school-system and its students and families.
In addition, the Board of Education and County Council need to work collaboratively on issues such as budgeting and affordable housing to ensure that it is not one or the other bearing the brunt of the issues facing children.
I intend to regularly host open meetings for parents and children throughout District 2 (and beyond if requested) to listen to concerns, respond to questions and gather ideas directly from constituents.
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.
Note: Fryar submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on March 23, 2022.
2020
Michael Fryar completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Fryar's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
I have spent the past 15 years working specifically with impoverished children, families and communities to work towards equal access to education and legal assistance. I am currently volunteering with Family Services, Inc. (Sheppard Pratt Health System) teaching an ESL course, am providing pro bono legal services through the Montgomery County Bar Pro Bono Program, and volunteer through the Washington Council of Lawyers.
I also serve on the Board of Directors as Treasurer for Washington Improv Theater, a non-profit program that, as part of its mission statement, offers education and training throughout Washington,. D.C. to at-risk populations including the homeless, children who are victims of abuse and neglect, and adult victims of violent crimes to find their voices through the art of improvisation.
My very first job was my own retail store that my mother and I opened when I was 16. It was a hobby store that focused on comic books and games so a perfect business for a teenager. The store was in existence until I left for college and my mother finished her Ph.D.. As we both left the state it was sold to a sports card dealer.
The Board of Education is the supervisor of the Superintendent, as a Board is to a CEO. It sets policy, guides the county, hears grievances with regard to education, and holds meetings to listen to stakeholders.
A primary issue with closing the achievement gap is that school populations in excess of 50% of FARMS need to be reduced. Redistricting may be an answer in the short-term way to move in a positive direction. But there needs to be a longer term strategy to diversify the population in a way that is advantageous to all students.
One of the reasons there is so much anxiety and confusion is because communication is limited and not comprehensive. It does not mean that accurate information was not conveyed, just that it was not accessible and there was no anticipation of assumptions or misinformation getting ahead of the messaging.
I intend to regularly host open meetings for parents and children throughout District 2 (and beyond if requested) to listen to concerns, respond to questions and gather ideas directly from constituents.
I also intend to establish a direct line of communication with the County Council. As a Board of Education member, I believe that it is my role to educate the council on issues affecting MCPS and its stakeholders and to ensure that the decisions made by the council are made in an informed fashion, knowing the impacts they may have on the school-system and its students and families.
In addition, the Board of Education and County Council need to work collaboratively on issues such as budgeting and affordable housing to ensure that it is not one or the other bearing the brunt of the issues facing children.
I intend to regularly host open meetings for parents and children throughout District 2 (and beyond if requested) to listen to concerns, respond to questions and gather ideas directly from constituents.
The creation of a parent liason position at each school that serves as a communication conduit for parents and families is also critical.
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.
Ballotpedia features 636,936 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Click here to contact our editorial staff or report an error. For media inquiries, contact us here. Please donate here to support our continued expansion.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
