Board of Education

Board of Education to Meet Thursday, January 9, 2025.

The business meeting will begin at 12:00 p.m., and closed session will begin at 9:00 a.m. Please Note:  The new meeting location is 15 West Gude Drive, Rockville, Maryland.  The meeting will be broadcast live on Comcast Channel 34 (HD 1071), Verizon FIOS Channel 36, and RCN Channel 89. The meeting is rebroadcast at 1:00 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday following the meeting.

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Montgomery County Board of Education Welcomes Fresh Faces and Bids Farewell to Longtime Members

The Montgomery County Board of Education formally installed three new board members on December 2. 

Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart, and Natalie Zimmerman were elected to the Board in November. Montoya joins the Board as an at-large member, Stewart represents district 4, and Zimmerman represents district 2. 

Montoya, Stewart, and Zimmerman were sworn in on December 2 by Montgomery County Clerk of Court Karen Bushell. They will join their Board colleagues for a business meeting on December 5, where new leadership and committee assignments will be announced. 

Board members ending their terms of service were honored for their contributions to the Board. Rebecca Smondrowski, who represented district 4, has served on the Board of Education for 12 years. Shebra Evans concluded eight years of service on the Board and represented district 2. Lynne Harris, an at-large member, departs the Board after four years of service. 

Board of Education members are elected to a four-year term and serve either the district in which they reside or the entire county as at-large members.

Engagement Takes Center Stage with New Advisory Committee by Board of Education

The Montgomery County Board of Education is committed to strengthening community engagement and communication. To bolster this commitment, the Board is creating a new advisory committee that will focus on these areas. The Board also announces new leaders and members for its other committees, which are essential to the Board’s work.

The Board sees an opportunity to strengthen community connections by creating a standing advisory committee focused on communications and engagement. Each year, the committee will address one key topic aimed at improving communication and engagement. During its first year, the committee will focus on the upcoming boundary studies for the Crown and Woodward High School projects and the expansion of Damascus High School. 

The new advisory committee will include community members, allowing them to play an active role in the process. The vice president will serve as the Board's representative on the committee. The advisory committee replaces the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Committee established in 2019. More details about the committee's work will be shared soon.

The Board also announces new leadership and membership for its existing committees:

• Fiscal Management, chaired by Karla Silvestre and including Natalie Zimmerman, Laura Stewart, and Praneel Suvarna.
• Policy Management, chaired by Julie Yang and including Karla Silvestre, Brenda Wolff, and Praneel Suvarna.
• Special Populations, chaired by Grace Rivera-Oven and including Rita Montoya and Laura Stewart.
• Strategic Planning, chaired by Brenda Wolff and including Natalie Zimmerman and Rita Montoya.

The Board of Education’s committees explore topics in detail to provide recommendations to the full Board. All committee meetings are open to the public and livestreamed. 

Julie Yang Takes the Helm as Board President, Grace Rivera-Oven Assumes VP Role

Julie Yang Takes the Helm as Board President, Grace Rivera-Oven Assumes VP Role  

Julie Yang begins her first term as president of the Montgomery County Board of Education with today’s business meeting. 

“Serving as President of the Board of Education is a great honor,” Ms. Yang stated. “The Board understands the bread-and-butter concerns of education are the ones that truly matter to our families. We will always focus on the everyday experience in our schools of our students, staff, and families.”

Ensuring all students have access to the resources that support their academic success is Ms. Yang’s driving passion. This sense of purpose took root when an elementary school teacher offered Ms. Yang time and extra support before and after school. Ms. Yang credits this teacher with her pursuit of higher education and a career as an educator, rather than following the path to factory work she was expected to take.

Ms. Yang has served on the Board of Education since 2022 and represents District 3. Most recently, she has been Chair of the Committee on Special Populations and a member of the Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Committee, and the Fiscal Management Committee. She also serves as the Board’s representative to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education’s Nominating Committee and its Awards Committee. Learn more about Ms. Yang on the Board of Education website.

Grace Rivera Oven, representing District 1, was elected vice president. Ms. Rivera Oven has served on the Board since 2022. Learn more about Ms. Rivera-Oven on the Board of Education website.

Board leaders serve one-year terms, with elections held at the first meeting after member terms end on November 30. The Board president chairs meetings, signs approved contracts and documents, represents the Board in communications, and performs other duties as needed. More details about the Board President’s role and responsibilities are available in the Montgomery County Board of Education Handbook.

Watch the election and hear Ms. Yang's and Board Members' remarks.