School board

Board of Education Member, Carroll County

Vote for: 3
Candidates: 6
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A board of education member helps set policy, approve the budget and hire the superintendent of the county's public schools.

Candidates Compare by issue

Cleveland Christopher Friday

No party listed

Correctional professional

The gist

Supports legislation to adapt the Blueprint to Carroll
Supports keeping outdoor school despite its cost
Supports mentorship programs for new teachers

More about Cleveland

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Supports legislation to adapt the Blueprint to Carroll
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Long term, I believe that we should introduce legislation that will allow our school system to find a middle ground”
Supports keeping outdoor school despite its cost
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Although it is expensive, I believe that it is also necessary to aid in the development of our students.”
Supports mentorship programs for new teachers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“providing targeted professional development through mentorship programs for new staff and job-embedded professional development.”

Marsha B. Herbert

No party listed

The gist

Supports continued funding of the Blueprint career ladder
Secured early $60,000 starting teacher salary as board president

More about Marsha

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Supports continued funding of the Blueprint career ladder
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The Carroll County Board of Education needs to continue funding the Career Ladder required by BluePrint.”
Secured early $60,000 starting teacher salary as board president
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I made sure that the CCPS system met the $60,000 Beginner Salary Blueprint requirement for educators a year early.”

Shannon Hinkhaus

No party listed

The gist

Supports competitive teacher pay reflecting local cost of living
Supports seeking Blueprint waivers or legislative changes
Supports age-appropriate, non-explicit materials with varied viewpoints

More about Shannon

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Supports competitive teacher pay reflecting local cost of living
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Recruitment and retention start with fair, competitive compensation that reflects Carroll's cost of living and rewards experience and performance.”
Supports seeking Blueprint waivers or legislative changes
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I also support continuing waivers or seeking legislative adjustments when state requirements don't align with local needs.”
Supports age-appropriate, non-explicit materials with varied viewpoints
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I support the use of instructional materials that tackle difficult issues, as long as they are age-appropriate, not explicit, and represent a variety of viewpoints.”

Lisa Maisano

No party listed

The gist

Supports modernizing or replacing aging school buildings
Supports future Blueprint changes for Carroll students
Proposes centralizing book selection for school media centers

More about Lisa

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Supports modernizing or replacing aging school buildings
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I will work to develop a long-term plan for modernizing or replacing old buildings so students attend school in their home community.”
Supports future Blueprint changes for Carroll students
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I advocated for flexibility with the Blueprint as part of the Carroll Education Coalition and will continue to push for future adjustments to the law”
Proposes centralizing book selection for school media centers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Duplicative efforts by CCPS media staff under the current process may be reduced by centralizing efforts to select books for media centers.”

Julie V. Walsh

No party listed

The gist

Supports teacher pay competitive with neighboring counties
Supports alternative curricula so parents can opt out
Supports repurposing schools as enrollment declines

More about Julie

View sources (1)

Supports teacher pay competitive with neighboring counties
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“pay should be competitive to neighboring jurisdictions, and work environments should be fair and reasonable”
Supports alternative curricula so parents can opt out
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“In rare instances (i.e. the CCPS health curriculum), I support alternative curricula so parents can make different decisions.”
Supports repurposing schools as enrollment declines
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“perhaps renovated, replaced, or rethought schools can serve new populations of students, relieving the pressure elsewhere.”

Sharon Wilhide

No party listed

Special educator

The gist

Supports smaller class sizes through hiring more educators
Supports stronger internet firewalls on school computers
Supports working with the AIB to modify Blueprint

More about Sharon

View sources (1)

Supports smaller class sizes through hiring more educators
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“We must prioritize the recruitment of additional educators, the reorganization of schedules, and the implementation of targeted, evidence-based interventions to effectively reduce class sizes.”
Supports stronger internet firewalls on school computers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“the school board needs to prioritize regulating the unlimited access students have to the internet on their school computers by installing more effective firewalls”
Supports working with the AIB to modify Blueprint
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Carroll County Board of Education
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Maryland (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I plan to continue working with the AIB and their consulting firm to modify Blueprint's pillars to fit the uniqueness of Carroll County Public Schools.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 1 issue covered in this race.