Wellllll, since the Apple endorsed candidates will not be transparent and release the answers they provided to the Apple Ballot Questionnaire and since MCEA will not release the answers the candidates provided…..we will. This of course does not cover any additional interviews the candidates took part in, what they might have been asked, and how they answered.
There are 3 candidates that have received the coveted Apple Ballot endorsement. They are Natalie Zimmerman in District 2, Laura Stewart in District 4 and Rita Montoya for the At-Large seat.
Being endorsed by the Apple Ballot has long represented a major advantage in winning a Board of Education election. Historically, the Apple Ballot has mostly controlled the Board of Education, having endorsed a large number of sitting members. One could go as far as to argue that much of the dysfunction we are currently experiencing in MCPS can be traced back to candidates that were on the Apple Ballot.
The political action arm of MCEA has also worked hard to protect its power, taking steps to trademark the use of the Apple Ballot and the language “Teacher Recommended”.
Since 2009, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) has been the registrant of both the apple and the use of “Teacher Recommended” in connection with political endorsements with the US Patent and Trademark Office. MSEA has a license agreement for the use of the Apple Ballot and the phrase “Teacher Recommended” and it is reserved for our endorsed candidates.
We rarely, if ever, get to see or know what viewpoints a candidate has that helped them win this coveted endorsement. Below you will find the responses for the 3 endorsed candidates. We encourage you to read them completely and thoroughly.
