New CAC Leader Joanna Conti Creates Survey For Citizen Input

For Broadneck resident Joanna Conti, losing the county executive race in November was not an opportunity to relax and take it easy.

“I wanted to continue to find ways to stay active and make a difference,” she explained. 

After hearing about the problems facing the school system’s countywide Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) and its change of leadership this winter, Conti believed that she could help the volunteer organization refocus its vision and strategies for being effective.

The CAC advises and reports to the Board of Education on activities and programs affecting the public schools of Anne Arundel County. All county schools are required to participate in the program.

"The [Severna Park] High School CAC, like the county-wide CAC, would like to increase participation and interest in educational issues that affect our students," wrote CAC member Julie Sweeney in an e-mail to Patch.

"Severna Park High School CAC's primary goal at this point is to obtain and maintain budget funding for a new high school and to have the Board of Education give serious consideration to a later start time for the High School."

The CAC is different from the PTA in that it doesn’t lobby, raise funds, or discuss individual students, staff or parent problems. For this group, it is more about policy, something that Conti relishes.

“I have always been interested in education,” said Conti, whose son is a sophomore at .

In 2000, Conti founded the Alliance for Youth Achievement, a nonprofit that has helped tens of thousands of orphans in eight countries in Africa and Asia through grant programs, partnerships with informal schools, group homes, medical missions, and teacher training programs.

Conti won the role of president of the county’s CAC organization in February.

“I made a point to talk to former leaders of the group, as well as board of education members, the superintendent, and others who have been active in CAC over the years,” she said.

Her first goal was to determine an educational agenda that was important to the parents and citizens of the county. Past county CAC leaders claimed the Board of Education and school officials were trying to control what issues the group could consider.

To effectively determine the educational issues most important to local parents, staff and citizens, Conti decided to create a survey that allows all citizens to share their concerns.  

“Once we get the data, we will know what we should focus on,” said Conti. “Then, we can figure out effective strategies for improvement and what recommendations to provide to school officials.”

"I think the new Countywide CAC leadership is taking a great approach to reorganizing and determining what the role and priorities of the CAC will be moving forward.  I think in the Severna Park cluster we have effectively used the CAC forum at a local level to address school concerns that go beyond the individual schools - but the function and purpose of the CAC as a true advisory committee to the Board of Education has to be redefined," wrote Brad Meyers in an e-mail to Patch. Meyers is currently chairman of the CAC at SPMS, the vice chairman at SPHS and the education chairman on the Greater Severna Park Council.

"Although only one month in, I think the new countywide CAC leadership has shown they will help move this group forward and help redefine it's roles and priorities," Meyers said. "

"They have received an impressive response to their community survey and are quickly working to develop a new relationship with the Board of Education."

The survey can be taken online at www.AACSchoolSurvey.com in either English or Spanish. Paper copies are available at each local school. Surveys should be completed and returned no later than April 8.

“The effectiveness of our schools has a huge impact on the long-term strength of our county, and it is critical we understand the issues that are most important to the residents of our county,” Conti said. “It is my hope that everyone will take five minutes to tell us what they like and don’t like about our schools, regardless of whether they have school-aged children or not.”