Facebook - Lindsay Rich for School Board, MCPS VA District E

I’m running for school board because I’m a concerned mom. I have five children at every level of the public education system, one graduate, two in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary school. Therefore, I have a vested interest in excellence in our public schools.

I’m also running to ensure our children get the best education possible in a safe and disciplined environment free of political ideologies and agendas. Parents don’t want boys in girls’ bathrooms and boys in girls’ sports. They want a better education for their kids.

The first issue is the erosion of parental rights and the infiltration of political ideologies and agendas in our schools. Governor Ralph Northam’s 2021 Virginia Department of Education Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools currently in place in Montgomery County Public Schools purposefully keep parents in the dark about their child’s health and wellbeing at school and support bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletics based on gender identity. As a school board member, I will vote to adopt Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2023 Virginia Department of Education Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools in Montgomery County Public Schools. These policies clarify that parents are the appropriate decision makers regarding their child’s health and wellbeing and support bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletics based on biological sex.

The second issue is a lack of safety and discipline. To accomplish educational goals, we must have a school environment that prioritizes safety and discipline. Safety starts inside the school building. There should be serious consequences for serious behaviors. Students who are trying to learn and teachers who are trying to teach shouldn’t have to sacrifice their time and effort at the hands of those who cannot act appropriately. MCPS has an excellent alternative school that is underutilized. Students who are constantly repeating poor behaviors should be placed there in a smaller environment where they will have a better chance to learn how to behave and succeed academically.

I support school choice, including home school, private school, and charter school options, because I believe parents should be able to choose the best education for their children. I homeschooled for over 10 years, though my oldest child graduated from public school and my other four children attend public school now.

I think parents are the ultimate authority in their child’s education and wellbeing. As a school board member, I will protect the rights of parents as the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives by advocating for transparency from school personnel regarding information on the education and physical and mental health of their minor child, transparency from school personnel regarding the materials being used in the education of their minor child, and the right to ask questions regarding their minor child’s educational experience.

I do not agree with the statement “America is inherently racist.” I believe America is a land of freedom and opportunity. I have parents who taught me to open my home and heart to people who may look or think differently than me and to set that example for my own children. As a school board member, this is the example I will set for the students in Montgomery County Public Schools as well.

I do not think these things should be a part of our public education curriculum or supplemental learning materials. I believe these political ideologies are a distraction from the core mission of educating our children in the areas of reading, writing, math, and science and should be left to parents to teach.

I support getting back to the basics of traditional academics and focusing on reading, writing, math, and science to combat the learning loss students have experienced. I will advocate for programs that meet the diverse academic and extracurricular needs of every student, including students who need more Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement course offerings, students who want to be able to graduate with essential trades certifications and immediate apprenticeship opportunities, and students who have a variety of Special Education needs that require our commitment and support.

I will support and encourage safety measures for girls in their private spaces by voting to adopt Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2023 Virginia Department of Education Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools in Montgomery County Public Schools. These polices state:

Overnight travel accommodations, locker rooms, and other intimate spaces used for school-related activities and events shall be based on sex. [School Division] shall provide reasonable modifications to this policy only to the extent required by law.

Students shall use bathrooms that correspond to his or her sex, except to the extent that federal law otherwise requires. See Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, 972 F.3d 586 (4th Cir. 2020).

I do believe Title IX is in jeopardy in our public education system today. As a school board member, I will vote to adopt Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2023 Virginia Department of Education Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginia’s Public Schools in Montgomery County Public Schools. These polices state:

For any athletic program or activity that is separated by sex, the appropriate participation of students shall be determined by sex rather than gender or gender identity. [School Division] shall provide reasonable modifications to this policy only to the extent required by law.

I have the endorsement of the Montgomery County Republican Party.