Alexander Shoop / Opinion - Fitzgerald Mofor for Board of Education
Fitzgerald Mofor of Montgomery County is running for a seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education. Born and raised in MoCo, he is the product of Sherwood High School, graduating in 2013. After graduating, Mr. Mofor continued with his education, earning a double major in General Studies and Sociology, and also received a Masters from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He now returns home with a clear goal: education reform.
This afternoon, scrolling through Twitter/X while waiting for my takeout order to be ready, I stumbled across a post from Mr. Mofor talking about MCPS. The post was a fiery declaration that the MCPS that MoCo residents used to be so proud of is no more. Indeed, Mofor says, “[o]ur school system has become a perpetual embarrassment, and it’s you, the taxpayer, who will foot the bill for the incompetence.”[1]
A look through Mr. Mofor’s profile reveals that there is tremendous substance behind the passion. He clearly communicates both the problems that he is concerned with and how he plans on dealing with them. In a video posted on March 12, 2024, Fitz promised to, “end the old practice of expanding the bureaucratic side of our education system.”[2] For example, at Montgomery College there is one administrator, or staff member, for every fourteen kids.[3]
Where others seek to obfuscate, Mr. Mofor is clear. In a post dated February 18, 2024, he declares his five key points.
👉Educational competency>Political Partisanship.
👉School Safety>Ineffective Security Apparatus.
👉Wage Parity>Cronyism and Wage Inequality.
👉Extended Education>Superfluous School Lockdowns.
👉Adequate Oversight>Administrative Malfeasance.
With such noble goals, it is no wonder that Mr. Mofor has declared it his mission to accomplish them. Indeed, in a response to Montgomery County Watchdog, a local news profile on Twitter/X, Fitz said, “I am on a crusade to restore MCPS to its previous status as a premier school district.”[4]
Mr. Mofor’s challenge is to restore Montgomery County’s education system to its former glory. With the spirit of Thomas Sankara, Fitz declares that, “it’s tyrannical to impose new taxes to fund education while restricting choice for stakeholders who want to opt out of teachings that are contrary to their religious values.”[5] Indeed it is, Mr. Mofor.
Candidate Mofor maintains that he is apolitical, preferring to remain an individual rather than assume the identity of a label. While he does not want to be tied down by any political dogmatic ideologies, Mr. Mofor believes in classically liberal values such as equal opportunity for all. He argues for a common sense approach, saying, “Getting back to the centrist bipartisan consensus is the path, FWD!”[6] in a post dated February 26, 2024.
Perhaps the most interesting point is also the final point. The “adequate oversight” would be in the form of a committee, as confirmed in that same post dated March 16, 2024. The conclusion of this post reading,
"Here’s the solution. We have an election coming up, and early voting begins May 2nd, 2024. In this election cycle, we need fresh blood with innovative ideas.
As a board member, I will institute an oversight committee that has subpoena power to demand witness testimony under oath to thoroughly investigate wrongdoers and provide retribution for victims.
It’s time to reverse course and put children, educators, and stakeholders first. Not politics!"
Mr. Mofor has been endorsed by UARE, as they have placed him on their “Blue Ballot” and by the FWD party. I believe that his values make him a great candidate to vote for. Make sure to get out and vote for Fitzgerald Mofor BoE 2024!
[3] Montgomery College’s own records.
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Alexander Shoop, a Montgomery County Republican, is a student and an American historian focused on healing old wounds through the elucidation of the truth. He shares his opinion and endorsement with Republican readers. He can be reached at [email protected]