Meet The Candidate: Raaheela Ahmed Runs For Board Of Education

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — The presidential race gets the most attention, but Prince George's County has several local contests as well. Five school board seats are up for grabs in this year's election.

It's time to get to know one of the candidates. Meet Raaheela Ahmed. She is running to represent District 5 on the Prince George's County Board of Education. Ahmed's race is uncontested.

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

What District Am I In?

Your school district determines who represents you on the board. Head to this website to see what district you live in.

The county also has a searchable map that lists federal, state and local representatives, but it takes longer to load. Punch your address into the map to find your delegates.

Candidate Name

Raaheela Ahmed

Age (as of Election Day)

27

Town/City of Residence

Bowie, MD

Office Sought

County School Board

Party Affiliation

Nonpartisan

Family

I have an awesome and supportive family in Prince George's County- wonderful parents and grandparents, sister, husband - and plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins in the DMV!

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My sister is a federal government contractor with a scholarship office in DoD

Education

B.S., Finance & B.A., Economics from the University of Maryland

Occupation

I've been in the non-profit sphere for 4 years. I'm currently the Deputy Director of Campus Vote Project, a position I started right before the pandemic closures.

Campaign website

www.raaheela.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Prince George's County Board of Education, District 5

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 is creating environments for student success. That means making sure that the needs of individual students are met and exceeded, that our staff are paid well, that school and system leadership are strong and sound, and that there are plenty of excellent academic opportunities for growth and learning.

The way to accomplish that is a move towards a culture of kindness, respect and professionalism. It is not something we are known for, but the best school districts are the ones that establish this kind of culture, from top down.

Re-opening schools after COVID-19 provides is the opportunity for a collective culture reset: an opportunity for all our schools and people to focus on what is most important: getting our students back on track and set up for success. My hope is for a culture where we all are just a little more kind to one another, and work as a village to get our students where they need to be.

What that means practically is continuing my advocating for things like mental health support staff, good employee pay, and quality instruction and operations that meet the needs of all students, especially students at the margins.

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?

I support Black Lives Matter. In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, I emceed a vigil in my city, supported and streamed by city government, where I spoke out about our land’s racist roots, and introduced our community’s black mothers and children to speak. A few of our community’s activists began holding regular peace rallies across our county in support of BLM, which I joined as well.

Back in 2018, I introduced our district’s first ever resolution for Black Lives Matter Week of Action at Schools, which unanimously passed our board at the time. It allowed for our people to celebrate, organize and advocate for black lives. That resolution has been introduced and passed every year since.

Earlier this year, we took activism a step further. As chair of the board’s policy committee, I led passage of civic engagement days for students in our jurisdiction. Essentially, that means that students in our county will soon be able to have their absences mark as excused if they are participating in civic or social justice efforts.

Additionally, year after year, during our vote on textbook selection, I’ve been critical about moving away from presenting a Euro-centric perspective on history with our students, and being inclusive of indigenous, black and other ethnic perspectives. Recently, I joined in support of one of colleagues, who’s started calling for changing the way history is taught to our schools in the district in this way.

Finally, I introduced a resolution this summer to non-renew our agreements with law enforcement to have armed police officers in schools. This topic is one that will be revisited in 2021.

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

See above

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?

No response.

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

I’m running unopposed for re-election to the Board of Education. I'm running again because I believe in creating a better education for the youth of Prince George’s County. As a lifelong Prince Georgian and District 5 resident, and K-12 product of PGCPS, I’m highly committed to the success of our community, and feel that I have the necessary skills to propel us forward:

• I have a passion for education and learning, and am currently working for a nonprofit that is focused on institutionalizing civic engagement with college students.
• I’m a meticulous worker, and am steadfast in bringing issues to light, even if it’s unpopular
• I work hard to listen to my community, and do what is in the best interest of our kids.
• I am unbought by other politicians. My campaigns have all been strong grassroots efforts; I have never received nor depended on political establishment support for electoral success
• I have degrees in Finance & Economics: an asset when it comes to budget analysis.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

No response.

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

Budget

I’ve led efforts as the primary motion maker for several budget amendments over the year, for our requested and/or approved school system budgets, including:

• $4.25 million for maintenance needs
• More school psychologists

LGBTQ+ staff training

I’ve also introduced resolutions supporting the rights of our Muslim and immigrant families, as well as transgender individuals, and co-sponsored the passage of financial literacy as a graduation requirement for students.Parental Engagement

Over the past 3 years, I’ve done my due diligence in ensuring parent voices are heard, and that parents are as involved as they can be in District 5 schools

• I’ve encouraged parents to start parent-teacher-student organizations at schools. This year, 2 schools in my district have revived their bodies (Patuxent ES and Northview ES).
• I actively communicate opportunities for funding, scholarships, etc. to the parent-teacher-student organizations in my district, and take special note to maintain relationships with parent leaders in my district’s schools.
• Every year, I hold a District 5 Parent Leader Convening , an event that brings together the PTA/PTO leaders and other parent advocates from District 5 to engage in conversation about best practices for parent-teacher-student organizations, and to collectively brainstorm ways to address the wider challenges faced by parents in the system. Certain central office leaders are welcomed to present and participate in this event as well.

Student Engagement

Starting last year, I started an annual District 5 Student Shadow Day, where 25-30 students take a field trip to the Sasscer administration building, in an attempt to better understand our education system, and encourage continuous student participation as community leaders. Activities I arrange for during that trip include a

• mock board meeting in the board auditorium
• group one-on-one with Dr. Goldson
• tour of the Sasscer administration building, including print shop and key offices
• Additionally, I make a point to speak at as many schools-based events as I can, particularly promotion ceremonies and career days.

Employee Compensation

I have been and will always be an advocate for paying our employees well. I was one of the few board members that came out publicly advocating for restoring lost employee pay steps from the last recession. I consider the restoration a great accomplishment.

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

No response.

Why should voters trust you?

No response.

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

No response.

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

No response.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

No response.

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

No response.

RELATED:

• Prince George's Voter Guide 2020: Candidates, How To Vote, Dates

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