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Mike Ferrell (Maryland): Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 00:06, 11 August 2024
Mike Ferrell was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Frederick County Board of Education in Maryland. He advanced from a primary election on June 24, 2014, to face seven other candidates for four available seats in the general election on November 4, 2014. Mike Ferrell (Maryland) lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Ferrell holds master's degrees in homeland security and emergency management and disaster preparedness from American Military University. He served in the Air National Guard from 1998 to 2011. At the time of his candidacy, Ferrell was serving as a chief master specialist in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife have one child.[1]
Elections
2014
The June 24, 2014, primary ballot included incumbents Colleen E. Cusimano, April Fleming Miller and Brad W. Young as well as challengers Liz Barrett, Jonathan C. Carothers, Mike Ferrell, Millicent Hall, Kenneth Kerr and Richard S. Vallaster III. Board member Jean A. Smith did not file for re-election. All of the primary candidates except Carothers faced off in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Incumbents Brad W. Young and Colleen E. Cusimano, along with newcomers Liz Barrett and Kenneth Kerr, won the general election.
Results
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Liz Barrett |
15.5% | 35,673 | |
| Nonpartisan | Brad W. Young Incumbent |
14.2% | 32,632 | |
| Nonpartisan | Colleen E. Cusimano Incumbent |
13.6% | 31,147 | |
| Nonpartisan | April Fleming Miller Incumbent |
12.9% | 29,700 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ken Kerr | 12.9% | 29,657 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Ferrell | 11.4% | 26,104 | |
| Nonpartisan | Millicent Hall | 10.4% | 23,984 | |
| Nonpartisan | Richard S. Vallaster III | 8.9% | 20,470 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 0.2% | 422 | |
| Total Votes | 229,789 | |||
| Source: Frederick County Board of Elections, "2014 Gubernatorial General Election Results," accessed December 20, 2014 | ||||
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Liz Barrett |
15.3% | 16,235 | |
| Nonpartisan | Brad W. Young Incumbent |
14.9% | 15,830 | |
| Nonpartisan | Colleen E. Cusimano Incumbent |
12.9% | 13,765 | |
| Nonpartisan | April Fleming Miller Incumbent |
12.3% | 13,044 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ken Kerr |
12.2% | 12,942 | |
| Nonpartisan | Millicent Hall |
9.5% | 10,131 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Ferrell |
8.7% | 9,250 | |
| Nonpartisan | Richard S. Vallaster III |
8.4% | 8,967 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jonathan C. Carothers | 5.9% | 6,270 | |
| Total Votes | 106,434 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Frederick County," July 16, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Ferrell had reported no contributions or expenditures to the Maryland State Board of Elections as of June 9, 2014.[2]
Endorsements
Ferrell had not received any official endorsements in this election as of May 23, 2014.
Campaign themes
2014
Ferrell explained his themes for the 2014 race in an interview with The Frederick News-Post:
| “ |
Why are you running for the Board of Education? Our children remain the single most important resource of our country. Teachers and school administrators are essential to our children’s success. I would be a relentless advocate for both. I have served our nation my entire adult life, serving in leadership, mentor and instructor roles. In the course of my service, I have accumulated a number of specialized skills essential to increasing the effectiveness of the Board of Education. What steps should the school system take to deal with financial uncertainty and maintenance-of-effort funding? Elect new Board of Education members who can and will work to resolve differences between the Board of Education and those controlling the budget. Change the way we approach the budget and points of contention, which have held up finding workable solutions. Engage in productive dialogue with Frederick’s new Charter Government to find common ground for our children and teachers. How do you intend to balance the competing needs of children, administration and teachers? We cannot address any problem which invites competition for resources unless we talk to the teachers, administrators and staff who are experiencing them. The Board of Education needs to manage the student population to ensure the teacher-to-student ratio benefits the student and teacher. We need to explore emerging technology which could reduce the time a teacher needs to attend to paperwork and other duties? What should the school board's top priorities be?<br. Children, management of portable classrooms, Common Core and getting parents involved. Other than the budget, what is the school system's biggest challenge in the next four years? Student population, teacher salaries and resources, drugs, technology. What is the biggest difference between your approach and that of the past board? I chose not to answer the Frederick County Teacher’s union survey, nor did I participate in their closed door interview in order to get their endorsement. I did not participate because, while I have nothing against the teachers union, I will not align myself with a certain side. I firmly believe that this is part of the problem which has reduced the Board of Education to a continuous stalemate. To be an effective problem solver, you must approach the issues at hand with an open and unbiased mind. My email is at the bottom, and I would invite any teacher or Frederick County resident to send me their question. I would love to be invited to any school to speak openly with teachers and address their concerns. For four years, this Board of Education has failed to make significant progress. My approach will be to find common ground and not look for ways to divide, and I would be humbled by your vote for Board of Education. |
” |
| —The Frederick News-Post, (2014) | ||
What was at stake?
Issues in the election
June 2 candidate forum
Frederick Classical Charter School hosted a candidate forum on June 2, 2014 featuring all nine board candidates on the primary ballot. The candidates agreed on general principles related to charter school development including the necessity of parental choice. Most candidates also agreed that the state's approach to charter schools does not provide enough independence for local parents and education officials. Millicent Hall argued that state laws governing charter schools need to remain rigorous to ensure education quality. April Fleming Miller pointed out that the state's strict rules for charter approval yielded three successful charter schools in the county rather than allowing a flood of inadequate charter options. Hall, Kenneth Kerr and Liz Barrett received endorsements from the Frederick County Teachers Association (FCTA) but asserted their independence from outside influences during the forum. Incumbents Miller, Colleen E. Cusimano and Brad W. Young stated earlier in the forum that the FCTA was actively opposed to charter school expansion in the county.[5]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Mike + Ferrell + Frederick + County + Public + Schools"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Michael Ferrell," accessed June 9, 2014
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports," accessed May 23, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Frederick News-Post, "Board of Education candidate Mike Ferrell," April 7, 2014
- ↑ The Frederick News-Post, "School board candidates debate," June 3, 2014
| 2014 Frederick County Public Schools Elections | |
| Frederick County, Maryland | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Liz Barrett • Jonathan C. Carothers • Colleen E. Cusimano • Mike Ferrell • Millicent Hall • Kenneth Kerr • April Fleming Miller • Richard S. Vallaster III • Brad W. Young |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
