Shirley Brandman Elected Board of Education President

December 6, 2011

Christopher Barclay Elected Vice President

Shirley Brandman was unanimously elected by her colleagues today (Dec. 6) as President of the Board of Education and Christopher Barclay was unanimously elected as Vice President.

“I am honored to serve as President of the Board during this time of transition in the history of Montgomery County Public Schools,” said Ms. Brandman, who previously served as Board President in 2008-2009.

“Working with my Board colleagues and our Superintendent, Dr. Starr, we will continue to strive towards ensuring an outstanding education for every student in our schools,” Ms. Brandman said. “We must seize opportunities to strengthen our collaboration with the community and other elected officials as we face the ongoing challenges of limited resources and growing needs.”

Ms. Brandman was elected to her second four-year term on the Board of Education in November 2010. In addition to her prior service as Board President, she has served as Vice President three times (2006-2008, 2010-2011). During her tenure, she has also served as the Chair of the Board’s Policy Committee and Special Population Committee and as a member of the Communications and Public Engagement Committee. Ms. Brandman was appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley to serve on the statewide Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board. In October 2011, Ms. Brandman was also elected as an officer (Secretary) of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE).

Ms. Brandman began her professional career as an attorney representing children in abuse and neglect cases and then went on to earn a Master's Degree in Special Education/Learning Disabilities. She is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School. Ms. Brandman is the parent of a current MCPS 10th grader and an MCPS graduate.

Christopher Barclay has served as the President of the Board for the past year and was also Vice President in 2009-2010. Mr. Barclay was appointed to the Board in 2006 to finish an unexpired term and was elected to the Board in 2008. He has served as a member of the Board’s Fiscal Management Committee and the Policy Committee. In 2010, Mr. Barclay was appointed by the Governor to the Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness.

Mr. Barclay has served in a number of volunteer leadership roles with the Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA), including Montgomery Blair cluster coordinator and MCCPTA Nominating Committee chair. He also has served on the NAACP Parents’ Council. He was active in the development of the Downcounty Consortium as a member of the Downcounty Consortium Base Area Study Committee. Mr. Barclay has worked in the telecommunications industry since 1993. He is a graduate of Columbia College of Chicago. Mr. Barclay, of Takoma Park, has three children who have graduated from or are attending MCPS.

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