What’s the job: Sets policy and chooses the school system superintendent. The board also approves the district budget.

The eight-member board includes seven members elected by district and a student member chosen by students. School board elections are nonpartisan. Primaries are held if there are more than two candidates seeking a seat, with the top two vote getters advancing to the general election.

District 1 — Brooklyn Park, Ferndale, Jessup, Linthicum

Name: Gloria D. Dent

Did not respond to biographical questions or candidate questionnaire.

Personal: Married, has three children, lives in Severn.

Education: Doctorate from Northcentral University with a concentration in psychological trauma and a Master of Business Administration, International Business Human Resource Management, from Trident University.

Experience: Serves on the board of directors for Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation.

District 2 — Glen Burnie, Millersville, Severn

Name: Robert Silkwood

Age: 75

Personal: Married to Linda Silkworth, three children and many grandchildren.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, secondary education and French, Towson University; Master’s Equivalent Plus.

Experience: 49-Year Anne Arundel County teacher; Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County representative, chairperson of the TAAAC High School Concerns Committee; faculty council chairperson, North County High School; member of the Board of Education District 2 since 2020; vice president of the Board of Education for 2 years; president of the Board of Education for 1 year.

Endorsements: Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County.

Notable donors: None.

Questionnaire

District 3 — Gibson Island, Pasadena

Name: Erica McFarland

Age: 45

Personal: Married for 25 years, four children, lives in Pasadena.

Education: Attended, but did not graduate Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Experience: Citizen Advisory Committee and on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee for AACPS.

Endorsements: Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County.

Questionnaire

Name: Chuck Yocum

Age: 61

Personal: Married for 35 years, three children, one grandchild, lives in Pasadena.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, education, West Virginia University; master’s degree, special education, West Virginia University; certificate of educational administration, the Johns Hopkins University.

Experience: Served on boards including People’s Community Health Foundation; president, Civitan Club of Glen Burnie; board member; Buccaneers Youth Athletic Association, athletic director; Y of Central Maryland Community Leadership Board; Pasadena/Arnold, Caring Cupboard Food Pantry, co-founder/president.

Endorsements: No official endorsements.

Questionnaire

District 4 — Ft. Meade, Laurel, Odenton

Name: Sarah McDermott

Personal: Married for 14 years, two children, lives in Odenton.

Education: Associate degree, general studies, Anne Arundel Community College; bachelor’s degree, government and politics, University of Maryland, College Park.

Questionnaire

Name: Stephanie Mutchler

Did not respond to biographical questions or candidate questionnaire.

District 5 — Arnold, Broadneck peninsula, Severna Park

Name: LaToya Nkongolo

Age: 45

Personal: Married for 22 years, has two children, lives in Severna Park.

Education: Master’s degree in social work, University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Social Work; master’s degree in organizational management and leadership, Springfield College; bachelor’s degree in social work, Delaware State University.

Experience: Served as the social and emotional chair for the Anne Arundel County Board of Education Citizen Advisory Committee, served as co-chair of the Behavioral Health Subcommittee on County Executive Steuart Pittman’s Healthy Transition Team, active member of the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation Board of Director, served as president of the Maryland Addiction and Behavioral-Health Professionals Certification Board, served as the Vice President of Services From the Heart/Backpack Buddies Board of Directors.

Questionnaire

Name: Dana Schallheim

Age: 48

Personal: Married for 16 years, has one daughter, lives in Severna Park.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, business administration, Western Washington University; master’s degree, business administration, University of Brighton.

Experience: Ran 2018 as a first-time candidate.

Endorsements: Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County (TAAAC), Comptroller Brooke Lierman, County Executive Steuart Pittman, Sen. Pam Beidle, Sen. Sarah Elfreth, Sen. Dawn Gile, Del. Heather Bagnall, Del. Ben Barnes, Del. Sandy Bartlett, Del. Mark Chang, Del. Shaneka Henson, Del. Dana Jones, Del. Mary Lehman, Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, Del. Andrew Pruski, Del. Gary Simmons, Board of Education member Joanna Tobin, Former Board of Education student member Josie Urrea, County Councilwoman Lisa Rodvien, LGBTQ Victory, Fund LPAC

Questionnaire

District 6 — Annapolis, Crownsville, Millersville

Name: Edilene Barros

Did not respond to biographical questions or candidate questionnaire.

Name: Joanna Bache Tobin

Age: 61

Personal: Married, one child.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Wellesley College; master’s degree, liberal arts, St. John’s College; Ph.D., political theory, Georgetown University

Experience: District 6 representative on Board of Education of Anne Arundel County, 2020-present; chair, Anne Arundel Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Recycling, 2009-2012; chair, board of trustees/member, Chesapeake Montessori School, 2010-2015; vice president, PTSA, Annapolis High School 2017-2020; member, board of directors, Maryland Hall 2023-present; chair, accreditation site visit teams, American Academy for Liberal Education 2011-present; faculty member, St. John’s College, Annapolis, 2002-2006.

Endorsements: Teacher’s Association of Anne Arundel County, Caucus of African American Leaders, state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, state Sen. Pamela Beidle, Del. Dana Jones, Del. Shaneka Henson, Del. Heather Bagnall, Del. Andrew Pruski, County Councilwoman Allison Pickard, County Councilwoman Lisa Rodvien, County Councilwoman Julie Hummer, County Councilman Pete Smith, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, Moms Demand Action gun sense candidate.

Questionnaire

District 7 — Crofton, Davidsonville, Edgewater, Deale

Name: Dawn Pulliam

Age: 52

Personal: Single, no children; family lives in Anne Arundel County with children who attend the county’s public schools.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, government and politics with a minor in Spanish, University of Maryland, College Park; master’s degree, business, University of Maryland University College.

Experience: Co-founder, Tate Innovation Launch Pad, 2024-present; senior program manager, Defense Civilian Training Corps program, 2023-2024; director, Lockheed Martin Sustainment Institute and lead, Corporate Sustainment Council Talent and Workforce Development Initiative, 2019-2023; director, business development, Stronghold Technologies, 2016-2023; director, School of Public Policy’s Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise at the University of Maryland College Park, 1997-2019; founder and director, Maryland Crime Research Innovation Center at the University of Maryland, College Park, 2018-2019; affiliate, College of Mechanical Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, 2019-Present, member, Southern High School Integrated Community Stakeholder Team, 2022-present; mentor, Southern Future Farmers of America, 2024-present

Endorsements: County Councilwoman Shannon Leadbetter, County Councilman Nathan Volke, Del. Seth Howard, Del. Stuart Schmidt, Del. Brian Chisholm, former state Sen. Edward Reilly, former state Sen. Janet Greenip.

Questionnaire

Name: Jeremy York

Age: 38

Personal: Married, two children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, international affairs, George Washington University; master’s, business administration, George Washington University.

Experience: Senior strategist, Coursera, 2022-present; management consultant, IBM, 2017-2022; manager of Piominko House, The Chickasaw Nation Dept. of Commerce, 2013-2017; Chief of Staff to the Chickasaw Nation ambassador, 2011-2013; Arabic linguist for the U.S. Marine Corps, 2005-2010.

Endorsement: Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, Parental Alliance for Student Safety, Caucus of African American Leaders, Moms Demand Action, state Sen. Sarah Elfreth, state Sen. Dawn Gile, state Sen. Pamela Beidle, Del. Dana Jones, Del. Heather Bagnall, Del. Andrew Pruski, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, AAC Board of Education member Dr. Joanna Tobin