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Rita Weaver
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Rita Weaver was the District 1 representative on the St. Mary's County Board of Education in Maryland. She advanced from a primary election on June 24, 2014, and defeated John Alonzo Gaskin in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Weaver currently works as an adjunct instructor at the College of Southern Maryland and formerly as a registered nurse at MedStar St. Mary's. She earned a B.S. in nusing from Stevenson University where she graduated summa cum laude. She went on to earn an M.S. in health leadership and management from the University of Maryland's School of Nursing. She served in the U.S. Navy for eight years.[1]
She and her husband have two children who have attended district schools.[2]
Elections
2014
Two seats on the St. Mary's County Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014. John Alonzo Gaskin ran in the June 24, 2014, primary against Randy Darnowsky and Rita Weaver. Gaskin and Weaver advanced to the general election. District 1 incumbent Salvatore Raspa did not file for re-election.
District 3 incumbent Brooke Matthews ran against Karin Bailey in the general election on November 4, 2014. No primary was held for District 3 as Matthews and Bailey were the only candidates to file in the race.
Results
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Rita Weaver |
56.9% | 15,586 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Alonzo Gaskin | 42.8% | 11,706 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.3% | 77 | |
| Total Votes | 27,369 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for St. Mary's County," December 2, 2014 | ||||
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Rita Weaver |
49.7% | 4,763 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Alonzo Gaskin |
36.1% | 3,458 | |
| Nonpartisan | Randy Darnowsky | 14.1% | 1,355 | |
| Total Votes | 9,576 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for St. Mary's County," July 16, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Weaver has reported a negative cash balance of $5,844.63 going into the general election. Weaver reported negative cash balances on earlier campaign finance reports as well as an endorsed check from current school board member Marilyn Crosby.[3]
Endorsements
Weaver did not receive any official endorsements in this election.
Campaign themes
2014
Weaver provided the following answers to questions from the League of Women Voters:
What do you plan to accomplish if you are elected to this office?
| “ | I grasps the importance of Transparency that is desperately needed on the current BOE. The fiscal responsibility of using taxpayer dollars. Using these dollars efficiently and wisely. The need for open communication with parents, County Commissioners, school staff, and the community, Advocating for all the students to receive an education in order to be prepared for a life beyond school walls.[4] | ” |
| —Vote 411 Voter Guide (2014)[5] | ||
Based on financial considerations, how would you prioritize the needs of public education in St. Mary’s County?
| “ | Remain focused on the fundamentals of reading, writing, math. When a good foundation for the essentials is established, it will offer better opportunities for all students. Smaller class size decreases teacher workload and provides additional individualized attention to meet the needs of every student. Identify and reallocate funds to be directly used for the student, teacher, and classroom.[4] | ” |
| —Vote 411 Voter Guide (2014)[5] | ||
What was at stake?
Issues in the election
Legal disputes
Rita Weaver and her husband, Greg, filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against the district. The complaint filed with the department's Office of Civil Rights argues that the district mishandled the placement of her autistic son. Weaver noted in an interview with Maryland Community News Online that her son struggled after moving to a new middle school in January 2013. According to Weaver, the district recommended a transfer to The Harbour School in Annapolis, Maryland, which would have required a two-hour commute. She also argued that the school board has not responded to her request for assistance throughout the process. Her son was attending a middle school in the district without any issues. The district did not provide any comment to the Maryland Community News Online as the complaint is under investigation.[6]
April 22 candidate forum
All three candidates for the District 1 seat and District 3 challenger Karin Bailey participated in a forum on April 22, 2014, at Lexington Park Library. The candidates discussed their views on the district's budget deficit, transparency and frequent unanimous votes by current board members. Randy Darnowsky wanted the board to examine the budget and find excessive administrative costs that created a $6 million overrun in the current budget. He argued that he could turn the deficit into surplus if elected to the board and argued for using any surplus funds for increased teacher salaries. Rita Weaver advocated for a more transparent budgeting process and wise spending along with changing the entire IEP process for parents and students. John Alonzo Gaskin stated that the budget should be allocated based on individual school needs and administrators need to make smart investments in technology.[2]
Each candidate agreed that the superintendent's contract should be published to the general public. Superintendent Michael Martirano does not post his contract on the district website but releases information to local media.[2]
Weaver and Gaskin disagreed over the effects of frequent unanimous votes by current board members. Weaver concluded that 5-0 board votes prevent discussion that could generate alternative policies. Gaskin countered that board members often hold discussions behind the scenes that iron out disagreements before votes are taken.[2]
Bailey advocated for more after-school programs across the district. She also suggested that after-school initiatives should not be restricted to a few schools but uniformly operated throughout the district. Bailey faced incumbent Brooke Matthews in the November general election.[2]
Facebook controversy
Anna Laughlin, the president of the Education Association of St. Mary’s County, sent an email to union members that included a screenshot of Weaver's Facebook page, which showcased her derogatory comments about teachers. The email included the following: “when she decided to run for board of ed she took it down. Do you want this person as your boss? Making decisions about your profession? I would hope not. Spread the word.”[7]
Weaver claimed that a special education teacher "bullied" her son, and “it was swept under the carpet by a principal, numerous special ed administrators and the past superintendent.” She said the comments were posted out of frustration.[7]
Issues in the district
Tensions over budget deficit
Superintendent Martirano and school board members faced scrutiny from the St. Mary's County Commission over $6 million in uncovered insurance costs for the 2013-2014 school year. The district budgeted $16.8 million for employee health insurance in the current budget. A high number of insurance claims by district employees cost the district upwards of $6.5 million more than the budgeted amount when the budget ended in June 2014. Martirano also noted that the district faced an additional $1.25 million in expenses due to high utility costs and special education contractors.[8]
District officials and board members developed three options to address the budget shortfall. The county commission could have allowed the school board to transfer savings from hiring freezes and cuts to repay unexpected costs. Other proposals would have required up to $3.7 million in additional funds or loans from the county government. Commissioners reacted negatively to the district's proposal during a county commission meeting on April 28, 2014. Commissioner Todd Morgan accused district administrators of using "smoke and mirrors" in the budget and recommended that the county not issue more funds to the district.[8]
Board members provided several explanations when questioned by Morgan about choices made in the 2013-2014 budget. Cathy Allen noted that the district's insurance provider, Care First, recommended policy changes that were followed by the board. School board chair Salvatore Raspa reiterated the high number of claims in defending the board's past actions. Mary Washington recognized that the board made mistakes when developing the last budget but suggested that the board had not failed in the past to maintain budget discipline. Brooke Matthews pointed out that changes to insurance policies were designed to stretch limited funds further for district schools.[8]
Tammy McCourt, the assistant superintendent of fiscal services and human services, discovered the budget shortfall after assuming the job in early 2014. She acknowledged that the district needed to negotiate with the teachers' union for higher insurance premiums and co-pays to avoid future budget shortfalls.[8]
The school board's final request from the county commission totaled $782,000. The county board voted not to increase funds to the district's 2014-2015 budget during a May 13, 2014, meeting.[9] Board members proposed a 2014-2015 budget that cuts 35 jobs, raises insurance premiums and eliminates pay raises. This proposal eliminated the budget deficit, increased the insurance budget and created a reserve for unanticipated expenses. The board also requested a supplemental appropriation from the county to restore employee raises. The county commission rejected the supplemental budget request and approved the board's amended budget request during a May 27, 2014, meeting. Both boards met again in August 2014 to assess remaining costs from the previous school year.[10][11]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Rita + Weaver + St. + Mary's + County + Public + Schools"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Vote 411 Voter Guide, "St. Mary's County Board of Education District 1," accessed October 22, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Southern Maryland News, "St. Mary’s school board candidates call for more transparency," April 25, 2014
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports," accessed October 24, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLWV - ↑ Maryland Community News Online, "St. Mary’s candidate filed compliant about education for son," May 7, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 SOMDNews.com, "St. Mary’s school board candidate objects to email," accessed October 31, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcommission - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcounty - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedproposal - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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| 2014 St. Mary's County Public Schools Elections | |
| Leonardtown, Maryland | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Randy Darnowsky • John Alonzo Gaskin • Rita Weaver District 3: • Karin Bailey • Brooke Matthews |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
