Why are you qualified to represent the people in your jurisdiction?

 

As an award-winning public school teacher who has spent over a decade in the classroom, I work every day with children and families in our community.  I see the hopes and needs of my students, their families, and my neighbors up close and in person.  From my previous work as an attorney and advocate, I know how to read, evaluate, and write laws. I know how to create policies and budgets.  Finally, my educational background provides me a strong foundation for public service: I hold a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.Ed. from George Mason University, and a J.D.(law degree) from Catholic University, magna cum laude.  

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What are three goals you want to accomplish in the next four years to advance the rights of women and minorities in Maryland?

 

Some of our best opportunities for advancing the rights of women and minorities lie within our public schools.  Minority students frequently come to school with the greatest challenges outside of school.  As such, it is critical that social service supports are in place to serve all students who arrive at school with out-of-school challenges so they can fully access their public education.  This must include adequate funding for social service positions such as school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists.

 

Next, we must ensure that our county is taking steps to increase affordable childcare.  One of the biggest challenges for working families, especially single parent families (disproportionately women) is child care.  In many cases, child care in Maryland has become more expensive than a four-year college.

 

Finally, the 287(g) program disproportionately impacts the Latino community in Anne Arundel County.  While most agree that our immigration system is broken and needs reform, destroying lives and families living peacefully in our communities does not solve any problem.  We should end the 287(g) program immediately and allow our public safety personnel to focus on local law enforcement.

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What are the three most important issues on which you want to effect change?  What will be your strategy for achieving these changes?

 

• I want to strengthen Anne Arundel County’s public schools by reducing class size, restoring adequate school-level staffing, and increasing social services. ​

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• I want to create a stronger revenue stream for our county.  I will start this process by working with colleagues to set developer impact fees at a level that reflects the full cost of a development’s impact on county infrastructure.​

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• I want to work to create a new General Development Plan that slows development and reflects the wishes of the current residents of Anne Arundel County.  I will rely on the previously community-created plans and seek input from residents for any needed updates.

 

What have you learned about yourself or the political process since you became a candidate or have been an elected official?

 

Since I began my campaign in June 2017, I have learned that the things I am most concerned about in Anne Arundel County - public education and our environment - are also very important to the vast majority of the residents that I meet.  My neighbors and I also share a vision of our County that is much more bike- and pedestrian-friendly as well as a concern for the addiction epidemic in our communities.  Finally, while I’ve always known that money plays a troubling role in the election process, seeing this influence from the perspective of a candidate has amplified my desire to bring campaign finance reform to Anne Arundel County.

 

Specifically, how will you keep your constituents informed about the issues facing the county and the state?

 

Since I began my campaign last June, I have created several channels of communication to connect with residents in my district.  I currently maintain a facebook page (@FriendsofLisaRodvien), a website(lisarodvien.com), and a twitter account (@LisaRodvien).  I will use those same means for communicating once I am elected.  Furthermore, I will remain visible and available by attending public meetings and events whenever possible.