Introductory Note

The new election rules for the SMOB nominating commission (called an “interview panel” by CRASC and AACPS leadership) were first implemented in FY2015. No record of the passage of the new election rules is provided on the CRASC website, and in response to a Public Information Act request seeking such documentation, AACPS/CRASC provided no record of a formal vote on the new rules.

The high-powered and intimidating AACPS “observer” was first added to the secret deliberations of the nominating commission in FY2012. Such an observer has participated in every nominating commission since FY2012. In comments in the Capital in late March 2016 and in subsequent email correspondence, CRASC’s President denied knowing of such participation in the secret nominating commission proceedings.

The data below were compiled from a variety of sources, including interviews with CRASC officials, a response to a Maryland Public Information Act request and AACPS published documents.

FY2016*

  1. Board of Education Representative: Jacob Horstkamp, SMOB
  2. Superintendent Representative: Aimee Poisson, CRASC Advisor (reports to Assistant Superintendent Sally Pelham)
  3. CRASC President: Scott Howarth
  4. Student at Large (nominated by the superintendent, subject to veto by CRASC’s president): Kristina Dyson
  5. Union Representative #1 (nonvoting participant from teachers’ union): Richard Benfer, TAAAC President
  6. Union Representative #2 (nonvoting participant from administrators’ union): Nelson Horine, AEL 1st Vice President

*The election rules used in FY2016 violated CRASC’s Constitution.  The AACPS/CRASC press release is the first one in recent years not to mention the names of any members of the nominating commission (earlier ones had provided a partial list).  The press release simply notes that three students were nominated. From the March 9, 2016 press release later paraphrased in the Capital:

“The Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils (CRASC) announced on its Twitter page (@CRASC_Online) today that three 11th-grade students have been named finalists for the 2016-2017 student member on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.”

FY2015

No nominating commission (In late January 2015, the Maryland General Assembly introduced legislation seeking to curtail the SMOB’s powers in part because of undue influence by administrators over the SMOB election process.  A report on the AACPS lobbying strategy to defeat the bill can be found here.  This nominating commission would have met while that bill was still a political threat.  The election rules under which this nominating commission would have met would also have violated CRASC’s Constitution.).

FY2014

  1. SMOB: Elsa Drooff
  2. CRASC President: Kara Ritterpusch
  3. CRASC Advisor: Aimee Poisson
  4. Nonvoting Participant: Teresa Tudor, CAC Advisor (reports to Assistant Superintendent Sally Pelham)*

*Presence not publicly disclosed in the AACPS press release below. From the March 10, 2014 Press Release from the AACPS Public Information Office as published in the Capital, published in the Severna Park Voice and published in Chesapeake Family:

“The number of initial applicants necessitated interviews as called for by the CRASC constitution to narrow the field to three. As required by the CRASC constitution, the interviews were conducted by a three-member panel consisting of current student Board member Else Drooff of Broadneck High School, CRASC President Kara Ritterpusch of Chesapeake High School, and AACPS Administrator of Student Leadership Development Aimee Poisson.”

FY2013

  1. SMOB: Nick Lefavor
  2. CRASC President: Emma Graybill
  3. CRASC Advisor: Aimee Poisson
  4. Nonvoting Participant: Sally Pelham, Assistant Superintendent*

*Presence not publicly disclosed in the AACPS press release below. From the March 8, 2013 Press Release from the AACPS Public Information Office:

“The number of initial applicants necessitated interviews as called for by the CRASC constitution to narrow the field to three. As required by the CRASC constitution, the interviews were conducted by a three-member panel consisting of current student Board member Nick Lefavor of Old Mill High School, CRASC President Emma Graybill of Northeast High School, and AACPS Administrator of Student Leadership Development Aimee Poisson.”

FY2012

  1. SMOB Jillian Buck
  2. CRASC President: Amanda Streeter
  3. CRASC Advisor: Aimee Poisson
  4. Nonvoting Participant: Sally Pelham, Assistant Superintendent*

*First year of the nonvoting participant; presence not publicly disclosed in the AACPS press release below. From the February 21, 2012 Press Release from the AACPS Public Information Office:

“The number of initial applicants necessitated interviews as called for by the CRASC constitution to narrow the field to three. As required by the CRASC constitution, the interviews were conducted by a three-member panel consisting of current student Board member Jillian Buck of South River High School, CRASC President Amanda Streeter of North County High School, and AACPS Administrator of Student Leadership Development Aimee Poisson.”

Other sources for CRASC officer information published by AACPS: