The Annapolis resident and stay-at-home mom is seeking the District 6 seat on the Anne Arundel County School Board.
Edileen Barros, who is originally from Brazil but studied in Belgium before immigrating to the United States, is targeting Joanna Bache Tobin's seat, which is up for re-election.
District 6 covers Annapolis and Crownsville.
Barros, 53, moved to Anne Arundel County 12 years ago after traveling back and forth to Virginia with her husband for the past 10 years. She chose Annapolis because she thought it was beautiful and a good place to raise her children, Barros said.
“There’s a sense of wow in this city,” she said. “It's beautiful and nice. I love the historical parts, the bridges, the water. Nice.”
Her oldest daughter attended public school, but when the family moved to Annapolis, Barros chose to homeschool her youngest children. She felt it was the best option at the time, but now that her son is in public school, and especially now that the country spends billions of dollars on education, she can't help but win school board elections and I feel that I have to support the system to make it the best it can be. Reforms through Maryland's Blueprint for the Future initiative.
“Maryland invests a lot of money in education,” she says. “There's no reason why the place we live isn't the best in the country.”
If elected to the school board, Barros' primary focus will be on improving test scores within the district and building better communication with parents. She will also work to create a safe learning environment, support parent input, and ensure adequate transportation to school.
“Parents want their children to go to school to work and build a career,” she says. “Go to college or whatever you want to do. But if kids leave school without learning the basics, they're going to really struggle.”
Barros believes that if Annapolis schools can build children up with confidence in basic knowledge, there is no limit to how great the district can become.
She said a full plan to improve the district is still being developed, but she plans to share more with the community as the Nov. 5 election approaches.
In the May 14th primary election, the field of education board candidates will be thinned out, with 18 candidates running in seven races.
Sarah Lacey, a former county council member and candidate for Anne Arundel County School Board District 1, announced on March 14 that she has suspended her campaign.
The top two vote-getters from each constituency advance to the general election. Barros and Bash Tobin are the only candidates in District 6, so they are guaranteed a spot on the November ballot.
