With four seats open on the Montgomery County Board of Education this year, candidates across the county are attempting to convince voters that their experience and priorities make them the strongest choice to help lead MCPS through ongoing challenges involving school safety, staffing, budgeting and student support.
The competitive District three race includes candidates Sally McCarthy, Cassandra “Cassi” Sung, Brett Di Resta, Sharon Creed and Andrew Frykman. In the countywide at-large race, candidates Omar Lazo, Wylea Chase and Brenda Diaz are also campaigning for seats on the board.
Candidate Sally McCarthy centered her campaign on her longtime connection to MCPS and her experience in education policy. McCarthy, a graduate of this school, said her understanding of public education comes from both personal and professional experience. “Public education isn’t abstract to me. I’m a Wootton graduate, an MCPS parent of two grads and the daughter of two MCPS teachers,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy also pointed to her academic background and advocacy work, saying she believes her experience would allow her to make informed decisions on issues facing the district. She earned a PhD in education policy from the University of Maryland and has spent more than a decade involved with the Montgomery County Council of PTAs. “As a longtime leader in the Montgomery County Council of PTAs, I’ve spent more than a decade navigating MCPS budgets, advocating for families and staff and building relationships across the County,” McCarthy said.
According to McCarthy, those experiences have shaped her approach to district budgeting and student support. “That experience means I know when to vote ‘yes’ — and when to vote ‘no’. I’ll back data-driven budgets that prioritize resources keeping students and teachers safe and supported in the classroom,” McCarthy said.
Candidate Cassandra “Cassi” Sung focused her campaign on what she described as urgency and accountability within MCPS. Sung hopes to bring a different perspective to the Board of Education, particularly as someone entering the school system as a parent for the first time. “As a mom of a child entering MCPS this fall, I’m not running on promises; I’m running on urgency,” Sung said.
Sung also emphasized her professional experience in data and operations, saying it allows her to approach school system issues from outside the traditional education establishment. “I bring a fresh perspective from outside the system, paired with a professional background in data and operations, so I can ask the questions that sometimes get skipped from the inside,” Sung said.
According to Sung, her campaign is focused on improving safety, inclusivity and accountability across MCPS schools. “My campaign is rooted in what I know to be true: when schools are safe, inclusive and accountable, all kids thrive. That’s what I’m fighting for in District three,” she said.
Candidate Brett Di Resta believes that effective Board of Education members need to understand politics, schools and the communities they represent. “I have real experience in all three. My 30 years in policy and campaigns taught me how to get things done; my work as an adjunct professor keeps me grounded in what students actually need,” Di Resta said.
He also emphasized his involvement in the Montgomery County community as both a parent and a volunteer. “I’m running because our kids deserve a board member who brings real experience and genuine investment to every decision,” Di Resta said.
As campaigning continues ahead of the election, candidates are offering voters different visions for the future of MCPS. With issues such as school safety, budgeting, staffing and student support remaining major concerns across the county, the election will help shape the direction of MCPS in the coming years.
