From the Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition
Somerset County Board of Education is facing relentless criticism and pressure from all agencies within the state of Maryland because of their compliance with the Federal Department of Education’s and President Trump’s Executive Order regarding “NO DEI” in education.
It all started in February 2025 when the newly elected board members unanimously executed the Federal Department of Education’s letter affirming compliance with Title VI, IX and all applicable Supreme Court Precedents.
Somerset: First MD District to Sign Federal Title VI Certification to End Discrimination
At that public meeting, the Superintendent of Somerset refused to sign the federal compliance letter and complained about it to the Maryland State Superintendent.
State Superintendent Carey Wright issued her own letter claiming that the State of Maryland would not comply with the Federal Department of Education’s “no DEI,” but that it will comply with their own regulations.
From that moment, local Superintendent Ava Tasker-Mitchell decided to ignore the Board of Education policies and produced zero procedural guidance to implement simple policies passed by the local board: from a flag policy to a dress code.
She produced nothing and continued to make promises to parents that “her team is working hard on procedures for the dress code for the upcoming school year. (See June 2025 Board meeting open session).
The local Board found itself with a Superintendent who ignores their policies and has done nothing of substance to help the failing school system, making Somerset County Public Schools as having the worst performing district and discipline record in the State of Maryland.
Facing incompetence and insubordination, Dr Tasker Mitchell demanded closed session meetings.
The local school board provided to her all opportunities she demanded.
However, after demanding “job security” and getting nowhere with her substantive work product, the Local Superintendent decided to violate the Maryland Open Meetings Act and filed a petition with the Maryland State Board of Education for removal of the Board’s Chairman, Matthew Lankford.
Unaware of the local Superintendent’s scheme and deliberate disclosures of confidential contents obtained from closed sessions, the local Board continued to work with her on the hot budget items.
Instead of working with the local Board, the local Superintendent (with the help of the State Superintendent) decided to target the local Board members and threaten them with removal.
In a desperate attempt to label a Board as “MAGA” and punish them, the State Superintendent engaged in political lobbying: she reached out to the Administrative, Execute and Legislative Committee (AELR) and convinced them that the State of Maryland is facing a Covid-like emergency for health and safety if Somerset County terminates their local superintendent.
Under the guise of an Emergency, in a matter of days the AELR changed COMAR under 13A.01.02.01 through a new emergency regulation, which precludes the local Boards of Education in Maryland from terminating their incompetent superintendent until the State hears the local superintendent’s appeal no matter how long it lasts.
No citizen is given an indefinite due process timeline, making this political move a clear abuse of authority, law, and due process on many levels.
Meanwhile, the State of Maryland Office of Inspector General for Education sent letters to the local Board demanding that they buy the SAVVAS curriculum or face “withholding of funds”.
Interestingly, the Board saw very few slides about the SAVVAS curriculum in their May 20, 2025 open board meeting and has no clue what this curriculum has in its entirety.
At the June 2025 open meeting, Somerset County ELA Coordinator Ms. Welch informed the public and the Board that they have been “testing the pilot” since January 2024, but the Board was not informed about the actual program and whether the program violates the Federal “NO DEI” policy.
It is clear that all available Maryland state agencies have been one-sided and leaked information from the State Superintendent published on the liberal site “Baltimore Banner.”
It is also clear that the State of Maryland is retaliating against the local Board of education for trying to repair dismal academic performance and discipline in their public school system.
It is also clear that the Somerset Education Association is involved in political activism and placing robo calls for the removal of Matthew Lankford.
However, nothing can erase the failed education program approved by the MSDE in Somerset County thus far. Somerset County complied with all state requirements, and it is now time to get to the root causes of their failure: political activism of the liberal mob coupled with biased media like the Baltimore Banner, WBOC, and WMDT to distract the public from the failed schools system led by the terminated Superintendent forcefully kept in office.
Fellows & Editors
August 8, 2025
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