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Board of Education Member · Frederick County · 2026 Primary
Members of the Board of Education oversee the local public school system by setting educational policies, approving the annual operating budget, and hiring the superintendent. They make key decisions on matters such as student curriculum, school boundaries, and the maintenance of school facilities. This office is important because its members determine how tax dollars are spent to support student learning and the overall quality of schools in the community.
View all candidates in this raceHeather Fletcher is a candidate for the Frederick County Board of Education representing Point of Rocks, Maryland, where she and her husband have lived for over 16 years as a mother of three school-aged children. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from the University of North Dakota and worked as an Air Traffic Controller at Joint Base Andrews with the Federal Aviation Administration starting in 2009 before becoming a homemaker to raise her family. Her campaign focuses on academic excellence, parental rights, fiscal responsibility, school choice, and addressing concerns she raised about FCPS Policy 443, MCAP testing standards, and library materials. She emphasizes bringing her experience from high-pressure environments like Air Traffic Control to guide the Board of Education toward what she describes as a brighter future for children.
Sources: Campaign website
"I believe every child deserves a world-class education focused on reading, writing, math, history, and logic—providing students with the foundational knowledge to think critically, reason effectively, and engage meaningfully with the world."
"Families deserve the freedom to choose the educational path that best fits their child. I support school choice as a way to deliver excellence, dignity, and opportunity to every student in every neighborhood."
"I will always listen to and respect the voices of parents and guardians. I'll work to keep our schools safe and focused by upholding discipline, protecting parental rights, and supporting our School Resource Officers (SROs)."
"As a former Air Traffic Controller for Air Force One, I'm dedicated to guiding FCPS in a better direction focused on academic excellence, parental rights, and fiscal responsibility."
Source: fletcherforboe.com
Academic Excellence
Focus on foundational subjects and critical thinking skills for all students
“"I believe every child deserves a world-class education focused on reading, writing, math, history, and logic—providing students with the foundational knowledge to think critically, reason effectively, and engage meaningfully with the world."”
School Choice
Support families' freedom to choose educational paths that fit their children's needs
“"Families deserve the freedom to choose the educational path that best fits their child. I support school choice as a way to deliver excellence, dignity, and opportunity to every student in every neighborhood."”
Parental Rights & School Safety
Listen to parents' voices while maintaining safe schools with discipline and SRO support
“"I will always listen to and respect the voices of parents and guardians. I'll work to keep our schools safe and focused by upholding discipline, protecting parental rights, and supporting our School Resource Officers (SROs)."”
Fiscal Responsibility
Direct funds where they make the most impact while supporting teachers with reduced administrative burdens and increased salaries
“"By being fiscally responsible, I'll ensure that funds are directed where they can make the most impact—supporting our students and teachers. I will work to reduce teachers' administrative burdens and increase their salaries to attract and retain the very best."”
Policy 443
Opposed to FCPS Policy 443 which mandates pronoun use and gender identity accommodations in schools
“"They've thrown caution and common sense to the wind in the name of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and refused to listen to doctors and parents who say 'first, do no harm,'" she said."”
MCAP Testing
Concerned about lowered testing standards that still result in high failure rates despite taxpayer costs
“"In 2022, Maryland lowered the standards of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) by reducing test times and changing test criteria. Despite FCPS performing better than some districts, it still falls short of meeting our children's needs. Last year, over 40% of students failed in English Language Arts, 68% in Math, and 66% of 8th graders failed Science—all while costing taxpayers nearly a billion dollars."”
Library Materials
Advocating for removal of books considered explicit or obscene that may not comply with Maryland law regarding display to minors
“"FCPS has materials in its libraries that many consider explicit or obscene, raising concerns about compliance with Maryland law regarding the display of such items to minors. I am committed to advocating for the removal of the 34 books currently approved by Superintendent Dyson and addressing the other titles that have not yet been challenged."”
According to the Frederick News Post, Heather Fletcher participated in a Frederick County Board of Education candidate forum hosted by Better Maryland Schools at C. Burr Artz Public Library where controversial policies about parental rights were topics of strong disagreement among candidates. The article notes that eight of the race's fourteen candidates attended this forum.
“"I believe every child deserves a world-class education focused on reading, writing, math, history, and logic—providing students with the foundational knowledge to think critically, reason effectively, and engage meaningfully with the world."”
Source“"By being fiscally responsible, I'll ensure that funds are directed where they can make the most impact—supporting our students and teachers."”
Source“"I will always listen to and respect the voices of parents and guardians. I'll work to keep our schools safe and focused by upholding discipline, protecting parental rights, and supporting our School Resource Officers (SROs)."”
Source