Three candidates for the Talbot Board of Education—Ann O’Connor, Kerry Gunshenan, and Karla Wieland-Cherry—have identified themselves as the “conservative” option, backed by groups like Moms for Liberty, an organization known for promoting regressive education policies. Their campaigns are boosted by a strategically inflammatory stream of misleading campaign mailers from anonymous, well-funded organizations that aim to drive fear and division within our community.
School board elections are supposed to be non-partisan, focusing solely on what’s best for our students—not on fueling the culture wars that have fractured communities across the country. Yet the ongoing involvement of the local Republican Central Committee, who has sponsored additional mailers supporting these three candidates, brings a troubling new angle: These mailers, bearing each of these candidates’ names, echoed the national campaign’s dreadful anti-immigrant rhetoric, with nativistic messaging about a “migrant invasion”.
Our schools should represent an environment of learning, respect, and support for every child and family, regardless of their background. When candidates with ties to groups pushing narrow, ideological agendas seek positions on our Board of Education, it’s crucial to ask whether they are truly focused on improving education or on pushing a narrow worldview. Their ties to the Republican campaign espousing anti-immigrant rhetoric make it difficult for many of us to trust that their intentions are purely about improving our schools.
As parents, immigrants, and proud community members, we make up a significant portion of the families that our schools serve. We deserve School Board representatives who genuinely prioritize the educational needs and well-being of all students. Let’s choose leaders who are committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive learning environment.
Joaquin E. Chaves
Easton
Michael Davis says
Thank you. More people need to know about “Mom’s for Liberty.” They are anti-government and for bigoted education. They are not a grass-roots organization that sprung up by unhappy parents. They are centrally funded by a billionaire in Florida and run as a national organization that promotes hate and banning books. For good reason, they are listed as an extremist and hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
While our school board elections are nonpartisan, people should be aware of the three candidates that are backed by Mom’s for Liberty. Given they have the support of Mom’s for Liberty and have not rejected that support, they probably want to destroy public education in Easton. Voting for them is like voting for the fascist Donald Trump to run our schools.
Dick Deerin says
Well said. Thank you for your letter
William Keppen says
Now they come to buy school board seats. Ideology over education.
Darrell parsons says
Thank you for speaking out!
Jim Franke says
Look up the Moms for Liberty on wikipedia.org. “In 2023, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization that tracks extremists, termed Moms for Liberty a far-right extremist organization.” Or “advocates against school curricula that mention LGBT rights, race and ethnicity, critical race theory, and discrimination. Multiple chapters have also campaigned to ban books that address gender and sexuality from school libraries.” Some might say this is a racist and homophobic agenda. You will too after reading the whole wikipedia article.
Wilson Dean says
An excellent letter!
Eric Ploeg says
Ms. Chaves,
I respect your opinion however there’s more to this issue than simply providing an “inclusive” learning environment. We’ve had a significant infusion of immigrant children into our schools and that number has exploded over the past 2-3 years. Many Talbot County citizens aren’t aware. In addition to the general expenses per student, a growing amount of additional resources are now required…..more funding. You simply expect county citizens to pay for it, no questions asked?
How has this come about? Where are all these new residents coming from, how did they get here and have they been vetted? Who decided to make Talbot County a haven for immigrants, many of which seem undocumented? Some people have decided to make Talbot County a beacon for immigrants, legal or not, by providing more and more benefits. Therefore the influx continues to increase.
School Board members are elected officials that should represent the citizens within their school district. As this growing burden falls on Talbot County citizens, they all deserve a voice. You fail to mention that the other candidates which are heavily sponsored by Democrat organizations with some strong partisan views. We’re entitled to a balance since not everyone in Talbot County agrees with their views.
Rick Charles says
Sir you are proving the writer’s point by echoing many of the unsubstantiated xenophobic and bigoted arguments presented by these conservative groups.
First, these immigrant children are residents of talbot county and are entitled to receiving an eduction from talbot public schools.
Second, their parents pay taxes, either directly via property taxes or indirectly through rents, which funds our schools.
Third, you mention “talbot county citizens”. What exactly is that? Do you really mean US citizen? Because all persons residing in talbot county, regardless or citizenship, are county residents and pay taxes in some form as stated above.
Finally you mention an influx of immigrants “legal or not” which really exposes your bigoted, xenophobic views. I love the diversity of our country and will support any candidate that encourages that and will foster an environment of inclusivity.
Signed,
Immigrant turned US citizen and resident of this county!
Eric Ploeg says
Rick,
FYI -my parents immigrated to the US after suffering great hardships in Europe under the Nazis. After applying repeatedly to enter the US, they waited overseas for several years to finally be granted acceptance. You see there was an annual lottery, allowing only a certain number of new immigrants from each country each year. People respected that system. When my mother first arrived in the US, she was pregnant with me and the officials wouldn’t allow her to enter the US. As they prepared to return her to Europe, fortunately she was able to provide the lottery acceptance letter. After that, the citizenship process began. And so here we are.
Back then there were strict immigration laws. Today there are still immigration laws which too many people simply disregard and some officials chose not to enforce. You don’t have a problem with that but I (and many other people) do. Being a supporter of legal immigration doesn’t make someone xenophobic.
Otherwise, your argument about taxes, etc. is ludicrous because the illegal residents certainly cost citizens more than they provide. The additional resources and expenses required in our schools is just one example.
The objective of my original comment is that citizens with differing opinions all deserve a voice on our elected school board. Not everyone thinks as you do and there’s no need to pin labels on anyone that doesn’t agree with you.
Rick Charles says
But your comment does contain several parts that can be seen as bigoted or xenophobic. For example:
1. **”We’ve had a significant infusion of immigrant children into our schools and that number has exploded over the past 2-3 years.”**
– The use of “infusion” and “exploded” conveys a sense of an overwhelming or unwanted presence of immigrants, which can dehumanize and stigmatize them as a problem rather than a community that contributes to society.
2. **”Many Talbot County citizens aren’t aware.”**
– This suggests a divide between “citizens” and “immigrants,” implying that there is something inherently wrong or problematic about the influx of immigrants, with citizens being portrayed as unaware or perhaps even misinformed about the situation.
3. **”In addition to the general expenses per student, a growing amount of additional resources are now required…..more funding.”**
– This could be interpreted as framing immigrant students as an additional financial burden, casting them as an economic liability rather than as individuals deserving of education and support.
4. **”Where are all these new residents coming from, how did they get here and have they been vetted?”**
– These questions suggest suspicion and imply that immigrants are a security risk or are arriving illegally (without evidence), reinforcing xenophobic concerns about undocumented or unvetted individuals.
5. **”Who decided to make Talbot County a haven for immigrants, many of which seem undocumented?”**
– The phrasing here implies that it is a deliberate choice to make the area a “haven” for immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented. The word “seem” casts doubt on the legal status of these individuals without evidence, fostering an environment of mistrust.
6. **”Some people have decided to make Talbot County a beacon for immigrants, legal or not, by providing more and more benefits.”**
– This suggests a deliberate effort to create a “beacon” for immigrants, whether legal or not, and frames this as negative by associating it with an increase in “benefits.” It implies that immigrants are receiving more than they deserve and puts a negative spin on social support for immigrants.
7. **”Therefore the influx continues to increase.”**
– This could be seen as reinforcing the idea that immigrants are continuously flooding into the area in a way that is beyond control or unwanted, without considering the positive aspects of immigration or the real needs of immigrant families.
8. **”School Board members are elected officials that should represent the citizens within their school district.”**
– While this part seems to focus on the function of the School Board, it implicitly positions immigrants as “not citizens” and places the emphasis on the rights of citizens over non-citizens, which can contribute to an “us vs. them” mentality.
9. **”You fail to mention that the other candidates which are heavily sponsored by Democrat organizations with some strong partisan views.”**
– While this is more about political views, it could also be seen as an attempt to paint the issue in a partisan light, potentially positioning the support of immigrants as aligned with a certain political ideology and further dividing the community.
Taken together, the overall tone of your comment is one of concern over the presence and financial burden of immigrants, framed in a way that emphasizes suspicion, resentment, and a perceived loss of control, which can be seen as bigoted or xenophobic.
Eric Ploeg says
Rick,
My issue relates to our schools and the growing number of undocumented, illegal immigrants that people like yourself insist we must harbor. Governor Moore declared that Maryland “welcomes all, no questions asked”. Therein lies a big part of the problem. The situation is obvious if you have any exposure to our schools. I realize many people don’t thus they are unaware. It’s not projecting a “perceived loss of control”, it is a loss of control….unless you know who is monitoring and vetting the influx.
Not everyone in our community believes we should continue providing perpetual services, support and funding for a growing number of individuals that simply arrive in Talbot County. Everyone wants to be a “nice guy” but what you don’t seem to grasp is that the more we provide, the more it encourages, making our community a beacon. This overloads systems and drains our resources for our citizens, including legal immigrants.
I appreciate your response however we see this issue very differently. Our recent election also indicates nationally as well as locally how most Americans feel about this issue. I’m not bigoted or xenophobic, I’m only applying common sense.
Joaquin E. Chaves says
Thank you for your comment on my letter to the editor. You mention a “significant infusion of immigrant children into our schools” over the past 2-3 years and claim that “a growing amount of additional resources are now required” to provide for their education. You then ask: “You simply expect county citizens to pay for it, no questions asked?”
To the first part of your question, my answer is unequivocally yes! Public education is the best investment any civilized society can make for the benefit of its citizenry—all of them. Since its origins in Massachusetts in the 1830s, the “Common School” movement emphasized creating public schools universally available to all children, free of charge and funded by the state. This public investment has always been seen as essential to creating well-rounded, fulfilled members of society who can contribute to the nation’s success.
To the second part of your question: no. We should indeed ask questions of those who lead and aspire to lead our public schools. That is precisely the point of my commentary. Many of us in Talbot County want to know these candidates’ true motivations, strategies, and educational philosophies.
As for your question, “How did this come about?”—there are complex historical reasons for immigration patterns. Ronald Reagan’s invocation of the “shining city upon a hill” resonated for many who, like me, immigrated to this nation with hopes of contributing and building a future. Throughout U.S. history, successive waves of immigrants—from Dutch fur traders to Irish fleeing famine—have come here to escape hardships and find opportunity. They, too, faced pushback and scapegoating upon arrival. As for today’s immigrants from Mexico and Central America, the causes of migration are complex and, in some cases, trace back to U.S. policies like the Monroe Doctrine and later interventions in Latin America. For further clarity, I’d encourage you to look up figures and events like Jacobo Arbenz, Anastasio Somoza, the U.S. Army School of the Americas, and the Iran-Contra Affair to understand the conditions driving today’s migration.
Lastly, you ask, “Who decided to make Talbot County a haven for immigrants, many of which seem undocumented?” To that, I respond: what makes someone “seem undocumented” to you? Is it the color of our skin? The hours many spend in the torrid Delmarva summer heat on construction sites? Or perhaps the countless cuts on their hands from cutting chicken parts at the Perdue plant? Or maybe it’s the tortillas we bring home from a local Hispanic market, as we, too, strive to build a better life for our children, just like any other family in this County? Public education is one of the most important paths to achieving that goal, and it should serves us all.
p.s.: Joaquín is a masculine name and the Spanish version of the German name Joachim. It happens often, no worries.
Robert Parker says
Members of the School Board are tasked with making sure our schools provide a broad education to each of the children in our schools. Framing immigration policy is NOT one of its assigned tasks. The prior letter seems to suggest otherwise. In my opinion, taking steps that undermine our childrens’ education because one disagrees with policies not controlled by the School Board is doing a disservice to all the children in our community. We live in a multi-racial, multi-cultural society and our goal should be that the education we provide for our children equips them to succeed in such a society.
Vickie Wilson says
Well said.
Thanks
Willard Tod Engelskirchen says
Moms for Liberty has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC is a respected organization which among other things monitors hate groups, provides training materials for police regarding extremist organizations, and provides training materials to educators.
Some, such as the local GOP and other groups, say they want a more “conservative” school curriculum. The definition of conservative that they would like us to apply differs from one most of the citizens of Talbot county would agree to. The Republican Central Committee is out of its lane to try to move to partisan school board elections.
I early voted at the fire house in Easton. Walking in, a person at the GOP tent admonished me to vote no on Question 1 because it would allow children to receive medical care regarding sexual orientation thru the schools without any input or notice to the parents. There is NO mention of sexual orientation alteration or treatment in Question 1. I saw posters at the Amish Market on 11/2/24 which carried the same wrong information. I passed the person with this misinformation on my way back to my car after voting and called him on his misinformation. He would not back down.
Selling fear is big this year I guess.
Michael Pullen says
A very thoughtful letter . Children accept other people because they are learning. They are not born with prejudice, exclusion, and judgment, those are learned.
Public schools teach acceptance, inclusion, responsibility, respect. Yes, others with different backgrounds have equal rights to participate in our schools. When any child succeeds, we all benefit. Education is not a zero sum game, it’s what we owe all children living in our Community.
America succeeds or fails as one, “e pluribus unum”, out of many, one. How can anyone exclude any child from the opportunity to learn that has been the foundation of our democracy since it’s founding?
Republicans presume to define America in thier image, one that opposes the generosity of the American spirit that welcomes those looking for opportunity and a better life for themselves and their children. We an all Americans and America has always been better than that. It still is.