Meet The Candidate: India Ochs Runs For Board Of Education

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The presidential election gets the most attention, but Anne Arundel County has several local races as well. Three Board of Education seats are up for grabs in the general election.

It's time to get to know one of the candidates. Meet India Ochs, a candidate for District 6 on the school board.

Ochs is running against Joanna Bache Tobin. More information about Tobin can be found here.

Before we meet Ochs, you have to know what district you live in. Follow the instructions below to see if Ochs is running in your town.

What District Am I In?

Your County Council district determines who represents you on the Board of Education. Punch in your address at this website to see what district you live in.

Candidate Name

India Ochs

Age (as of Election Day)

45

Town/City of Residence

Annapolis

Office Sought

County School Board

If you are a congressional candidate, please indicate for which district (District 1, District 3, etc.)

NA

Party Affiliation

Unaffililated

Family

Son: Jack age 10 (5th grade)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

only myself (US Department of State)

Education

University of North Carolina at Greensboro: Bachelors of Arts in History & Political Science, Masters in Public Affairs with certificate in Nonprofit Management; Syracuse University College of Law: Juris Doctorate with certificate in Family Law & Social Policy

Occupation

Current: Federal Government Compliance Officer (9 years); previously human rights attorney and juvenile detention reform advocate

Campaign website

www.voteindiaochs.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our district are the inequities throughout our schools. There are so many areas to address given how diverse the Annapolis cluster, and how far-reaching the inequities are during the current pandemic, but at a minimum I intend to continue our fight for equity in the following ways.

First, I stand by my statements to establish open communication channels and regular meetings within the community, to engage with fellow residents to create a sense of system- and community-urgency to aggressively do “whatever it takes” for every student to achieve success in school. This urgency for change includes revising policies and procedures to address disciplinary practices in schools that disproportionately affect our students of color and/or with disabilities.

Paramount in this reestablishing publicly accessible monthly statistics of the demographics behind student discipline referrals, citations, and arrests, along with absenteeism, something that was previously in place through an agreement with AACPS and the US Department of Justice. We also need to find new ways to recruit, hire, and retain teachers and school administrators of color. More importantly, the focus needs to go beyond just hiring them, and putting in policies and measures that ensure these teachers are appropriately placed in ALL subjects/grades and provided leadership opportunities. We also need to establish new policies to prevent teachers/staff of color from being segregated into certain jobs/departments.

At the same time, we need to strengthen the curriculum and school activities throughout the year to reflect our diverse student population, including integrating local history about people of color. Starting in Pre-K, we need to integrate anti-racism dialogue in lessons, along with reference people of color in all subjects including math, science, art, etc.

And for our other marginalized groups facing inequities, I intend to make sure AACPS takes steps to ensure it is compliant with federal laws requiring translation for students and caregivers with limited English, incorporate the student's ethnic background into lessons for increased engagement, ensure AACPS is compliant with federal laws requiring full adherence to students’ IEP and 504 plans, and make sure AACPS policies on bullying and biased behavior are properly enforced.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

Of course I support Black Lives Matter. Equity and combating racism and bias are not just new things for my campaign or since the murder of George Floyd, but have been part of my life’s mission since I can remember. It has been great seeing so many in the community come together to demonstrate why Black Lives truly Matter, especially with many of the rallies organized by our youth. I also appreciate individuals like Alderman DaJuan Gay organizing rallies that walk through the communities we are rallying in support for, to show the residents that we are here for them. I know for myself, I would always pick marching through Robinwood and Harbour House instead of through downtown Annapolis, regardless of how much media attention one had over the other. At the same time, demonstrations are not enough. It is great to come together, in a socially distant manner, to unite our voices in the call to eliminate the systemic racism steeped through American society, but we also need to unite to bring about changes in policies and laws. Which is why working with Showing up for Racial Justice and other groups has been so valuable in putting our words onto pen and paper, with things such as school disciplinary policies or police brutality. We cannot turn silent again, on the streets, on paper, or in the Board room, until change actually occurs.

What are your thoughts on the campaign to "defund" the police?

First, I feel bad that there is not a different name to the campaign because it is not actually about “defunding” the police. I do not know anyone trying to eliminate law enforcement positions. Instead, I am in full support of redirecting the overfunding placed in the police department budget to support other services that will make our community safer such as social workers, job training, affordable housing, or recreational centers. And especially for purposes of the school system, our kids would be much safer and healthier if we diverted funding from school resource officers to mental health workers, which changes our approach from being reactive to proactive when dealing with students struggling with emotional and mental issues. At the end of the day, we want our police officers to do the job they were trained for: to fight crime and keep the peace. Yet it's hard to focus on that when dealing with so many non-violent calls or exterior responsibilities like potholes.

What are your thoughts on the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you favor such measures as limiting operation of non-essential businesses or restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a nationwide mask mandate?

If we focus on school systems specifically, I will continue to prioritize human life above all else. There is no simple solution to the pandemic, and there are kids that desperately need to have in-person instruction. Yet any plan to bring in kids of any amount must be fully finalized, with back up plans in place, before it is implemented. This is not currently the case with AACPS administration. As much as I, and many parents and teachers, want our kids to return to the school building, we should not be pressured by politics or money incentives to do so. We must learn from the school systems around the world that had effective reopenings and those who did not, and so in that regard, I would not support reopening schools unless there was a low transmission rate of the virus within the immediate area and that safety standards were fully enforced. School systems need to talk to all stakeholders – teachers, students, administration, parents etc - before making any decision, and put all safety standards in a written agreement so there is no wiggle room about who is responsible for what at any given time. And yes, masks should be mandated as long the virus still is a threat.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

On the surface, my opponent and I share matching priorities on the issues. However, there are subtle yet critical differences if someone takes the time to look. My opponent wants to be a voice for the people, while I continue my lifelong motivation to make sure each person’s voice is heard. As a native Annapolitian, I have built lifelong connections with people throughout every cross-section of our community, along with having a 32-year record of advocating specifically for AACPS and our kids. (Just check the Board of Education meeting minutes archive to see which name shows up at meetings prior to announcing runs for office.) My overall involvement in education, especially when it comes to interacting with youth, stretches back even longer, including conducting my first workshop for a Girl Scout troop on the Eastern Shore at age 11, first lecture at an elementary school in Baltimore at age 12, drafting and advocating for educational bills as the county’s Chief Student Legislative Coordinator in high school, shaping AACPS curriculum, teaching law to high school students, and currently reviewing school accreditation and teacher contracts in jurisdictions across the country. While both candidates have an international background, my past work as an adult, as a human rights attorney partnering with activists and governments across the world, has resulted in having the most knowledge of policies and procedures that work and don’t work in a diverse set of school systems. Of equal value, I am the only candidate to have direct experience as a guardian ad litem advocating for children in foster care, along with working on juvenile detention reform initiatives with officials across the country, enabling me to have an actual understanding of the cradle to prison pipeline and how to combat it. I also am the only candidate to draft policy on education and civil rights at both the local and national level, which I have kept doing during my campaign.

Another critical difference is I bring more every day experience and insight in both leadership and oversight, not only working daily as a Compliance Officer the last nine years, but I successfully established and ran a nonprofit from scratch, chaired six Board of Directors at the local, national, and international level (including two terms as Hillsmere PTA President), and manage multi-million contracts at work. I also have been in leadership positions, bringing change, in every phase of my life, including establishing and chairing the first work/life/wellness committee at the US Department of State and serving as my Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla’s first Staff Officer for Diversity.

On the personal front, my opponent may have been witness to the lives of third world kids growing up, but I experienced the same inequities our kids are still facing here in Annapolis qualifying for a Pre-K education in Headstart, having parents unemployed or in the lower-income bracket with health insurance that didn’t cover my disability, school administrators allowing blatant discrimination by a teacher due to my disability, constantly hearing the false rumors of the dangers in our schools, and the lasting impact of racist incidents against my
Black friends.

Finally, logistically, I am the only candidate to take into consideration our diverse neighbors, putting Spanish and accessibility links on my campaign website from Day One.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

There is no one to officially challenge since this will be the first time residents of District 6 elect a member to the Board of Education. However, it is important to note that the person appointed in 2018 to finish out the term prior to this election has done nothing for the community his seat was meant to represent. There has been no interaction with the Annapolis cluster, no responses to emails, and no references or advocating for Annapolis schools. In essence, Annapolis has had no voice on the Board for years, which is why it is critical to get an elected member in place to finally let Annapolis be heard.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I have always said equity is the #1 issue within my platform, yet equity is also interwoven throughout all the other issues we constantly are fighting for. This includes my continuing advocacy to supporting our teachers, especially when it comes to pay and step increases, smaller classes, and effective professional development/mentoring. Just as fighting for more support and protections in special education, more mental health support, healthy school start times, safe & reliable transportation, and full transparency & accountability, will compete as high priorities in order to provide full support, and respect, for our students and teachers. At the same time, just as we need someone on the Board to finally represent Annapolis, I want to ensure full engagement by District 6 residents on all AACPS committees/working groups, just as I want students, teachers, and parents involved in every committee/working group. The failure of Annapolis to be represented on the 14 AACPS working groups formed over the summer to plan for COVID and reopening was uncalled for yet not a shock, but it definitely cannot happen again.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In a broader sense, my unwavering calmness in the midst of any situation, along with my ability to never take anything personally, will allow me to be an anchor on the Board. In terms of specific accomplishments, as indicated earlier, I have chaired six Boards of Directors over the last two decades. In those roles, I successfully brought together people from all over the world with different backgrounds and spoken languages, which is a skill needed when interacting with Board members, AACPS staff, students, and the community. I also will handle any situation that comes up, given past experiences navigating through a myriad of emergencies, whether it was mold and overcrowding in trailers while presiding over the Hillsmere PTA board, securing emergency relief for people with disabilities after both Hurricane Katrina and COVID-19, or bringing stability and unification to a Board of Directors after members from Canada, Germany, and Australia got conflicting death threats related to the organization’s position paper on a certain policy. As someone who has successfully gotten bills related to education and civil rights passed at the state and federal level (including the service learning graduation requirement, banning smoking on school grounds, and granting partial voting rights to the student member of the State Board of Education), along with securing changes in corporate policies for the biggest restaurant corporation in the world, after testifying on modern day slavery at the United Nations and Organization of American States, I will have an in-depth understanding in not only how to strengthen AACPS policies, but also have the ability to effectively advocate for AACPS in other venues.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Great question. I have said during the campaign that we are only in office a certain number of years so at the end of the day, it’s about what legacy you leave, what precedent do you set for others. Any change, small or large, is considered a success, but for me, I would walk away knowing I made a difference if I was able to do the following ten things in the next four years: 1) fully implement measures to publicly track student arrests, citations, and suspensions and see AACPS taking action based on that data, 2) Seeing a decrease in the number of students of color referred to law enforcement, 3) Seeing anti-racism lessons starting in Pre-K, 4) Getting equal pay and restoring all steps for teachings, 5) getting healthy school start times for K-12, 6) seeing a full rehabilitation to AACPS’s transportation department and services, 7) seeing a shift in culture in how students with disabilities are viewed, 8) turn guidelines protecting vulnerable populations into actual policy, 9) strengthening the background check process, and 10) extended recess/transition time. (Can I add a 11th – cancelling AACPS’s contract with the telecommunications company.)

Why should voters trust you?

Trust has always been one of the most important things in my life, and establishing trust in any relationship is always the first thing I seek with anyone I cross paths with. I fully believe in the sentiment that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, which is why establishing that level of trust and respect with people of any age or background is so critical. Those that get to know me will quickly learn that the two things I learned since age 3 were never to lie and always follow through on my word. If I tell you I will do something, you can trust that I will actually do it. I also do not talk just to talk, so at some point voters will see that I don’t exaggerate or make things up: I say it as it is, even on the hardest of topics. Friends tend to talk about how good a listener I am, and I do believe that the ability to not just hear what someone is saying, but taking time to absorb it and respect it, even if we disagree on the issue, is how I build trust with people, whether you are 4 or 40. Voters should trust me because I am here to trust you. I will always listen to you, respect you as a human being, and support you in the best way possible. And if for some reason, we don’t agree on a particular action, I will find out the reason for the disagreement, see if it can be resolved, and tell you why I am taking a different stance on it. Voters will see how much consideration I gave to the decision, and will hear the full reasoning behind all my decisions. And they will know that even if we were on opposite sides of one issue, I will always be here to listen to the next issue. I will say this again, honesty, trust, and respect are all critical parts in any relationship, and what I give to everyone I meet.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

Fiscal responsibility and government spending is one of the most important things when it comes to being on the Board of Education. Over half of the county’s budget is directed to our school system each year, and the Board spends months reviewing the proposed school budget to submit to the County Executive. Even in the best of times, there never is enough funding to match all of our students and teachers needs, and the shutdown will further limit funding for so many critical items we should have implemented years ago. That is why as a Board member, I would prioritize the budget and exercise fiscal responsibility so that our most vulnerable populations are supported first.

When campaigning, it’s easy to say your vote matters because your tax dollars support our schools, but we need to show how much those votes really do matter by making sure every tax dollar is being properly used. And if the community is loud about wanting money to go to a certain area, such as when the community rallied to get the County Council to reinstate funding for new transportation staff after AACPS tried to divert those funds, we need to listen to the people.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No reason at all. When I commit to something, I commit to it 100%. Following through on my word has always been paramount throughout my life, which is why I never walk away from anyone or anything, and I expect nothing less from myself during my term in office.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

A lot of “advice” shared with me has come from quotes, and I just wanted to share three that have stayed in my mind virtually every day since hearing each of them: “Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.” – Theodore Roosevelt; “Don't lose your confidence if you slip, Be grateful for a pleasant trip, And pick yourself up, Dust yourself off. Start all over again.” - from the 1936 movie Swing Time; and “Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.” – Will Rogers

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

If voters visit my website, it is easy to see all of my experience and skill, my decades of advocacy and public services, and all the action items I had laid out from the beginning. What voters can’t see yet are all of the intangibles, such as how I never give up on anything I believe in, even if it takes years to get achieved, or more importantly how I never give up on people. Voters can’t see yet that I am not exaggerating when I say the promises I make now are the same I made as a young child. Just as I decided to be an attorney at age 5 and to name my first born Jack as I was climbing a tree at age 10, I decided in elementary school to never give up on our public schools no matter what happened, because there were so many wonderful teachers and opportunities that outweighed any negativity or discrimination. And I still remember making the vow at age 11 to devote my life towards making sure people knew their rights as human beings and found their inner self confidence so they could be heard. Those promises are no different now as I run for the Board of Education. It’s not just that I am the most qualified and knowledgeable candidate, but I am running so that I can broaden my outreach to everyone in District 6 and the county, and empower both students and families to go after what they see as success and be the leader within their own worlds, whether that world is a circle of friends, student government, the PTA, the workplace, or on the soccer field. I saw the potential in my classmates as a child, I see it now in my fellow neighbors as a parent and advocate, and I know together, we can make Annapolis and AACPS models of excellence and inclusiveness, innovation and acceptance, equitable and safe, that others look up to. I have been fighting for our kids and teachers for decades, bringing change along the way as people listen and put trust in me: if I am elected the main difference is just the chair I am sitting in as I continue my work - be it a chair with more outreach and decision-making capability.

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• Anne Arundel Voter Guide 2020: Candidates, How To Vote, Deadlines

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