Annapolis mother running for District 6 Board of Education seat
An Annapolis resident and stay-at-home mom is seeking the District 6 seat on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.
Edilene Barros, who is originally from Brazil but studied in Belgium before moving to the United States, will seek the seat held by Joanna Bache Tobin, who is seeking reelection.
District 6 covers Annapolis and Crownsville.
Barros, 53, moved to Anne Arundel County 12 years ago after bouncing around with her husband between and Virginia over the lat decade. She chose Annapolis because she thought it was beautiful and a good place to raise her children, Barros said.
“The town has that feeling of wow,” she said. “It’s beautiful and lovely. I love the historical part, I love the bridges, I love the water. It’s so nice.”
While her first daughter went to public school, Barros chose to homeschool her youngest children when her family moved to Annapolis. She felt it was the best choice at the time but now with her son attending public school, she feels compelled to win election to the school board and assist the school system to be the best it can be, especially as the state spends billions on education reform through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future initiative.
“A lot of money is being put toward education in Maryland,” she said. “There is no reason why where we live is not number one in the country.”
Barros main focus if elected to the school board is improving test scores up in herdistrict and building better communication with parents. She will also be running on producing safe learning environments, supporting parental input, and ensuring adequate transportation for schools.
“Parents want the kids to go to school so they can go to work and have a career,” she said. “Go to college or university or do whatever it is they want. But if kids leave school without the basics they will have a really hard time.”
Barros believes if Annapolis schools can build children up to be confident in their basic knowledge there is no limit to how great the district can be.
She said her complete plan for improving the district is still being worked out but she plans to share more with the community as the Nov. 5 election gets closer.
The primary election on May 14 will thin the field of school board candidates, which features 18 candidates across seven races.
Sarah Lacey, former County Council representative and a candidate for the Anne Arundel County School Board’s District 1 race, suspended her campaign, she announced on March 14.
The top two vote-getters in each district will advance to the general election. Both Barros and Bache Tobin are guaranteed a spot on the November ballot since they are the only two candidates for District 6.