Mark Covington and an ASL interpreter standing on a stage at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center in Howard County speaking to a crowd

On the Issues

Fully Funded Schools & Protected Programs

Our schools deserve every resource. Our students deserve every opportunity. 

For Mark, this is a non-negotiable. If HCPSS is going to stand by its promise to give every student the chance to learn and build their future, we can never let them down when it comes to resources. Mark will not vote to cut staff or programs for students and teachers.

    • Mark will advocate for county and state budgets that meet –and exceed–the requirements of the Blueprint for Maryland’s future, ensuring HCPSS has the resources to reduce class sizes, upgrade facilities, and support all academic and extracurricular programs.

    • Howard County’s schools deserve safe, inspiring learning environments. Mark will push to repair aging infrastructure, eliminate the maintenance backlog, and build new schools where needed to address overcrowding. 

    • Arts, athletics, enrichment, and career-readiness programs are not luxuries–they’re lifelines for students. Mark will oppose cuts to staff pay and student programs at every turn.

Recruited, Retained & Empowered Educators

Great teachers are worth their weight in diamonds. It’s time we treat them that way.

Mark has spent his career working alongside extraordinary teachers, training new educators, and leading schools where teacher success meant student success. He knows that the best thing we can do for our students is invest deeply in the people who show up for them everyday.

    • Mark will formalize and expand partnerships with Maryland universities–incuding Towson, Morgan State, Coppin, Loyola, and others–to create direct mentorship and hiring pathways into HCPSS. He’ll push to expand loan assistance programs for educators and expand recruitment efforts for strong candidates.

    • New educators deserve a fully funded, multi-year induction and mentorship program, offering them the support needed to grow into the amazing teachers HCPSS needs. Mark will work to develop career advancement pathways and competitive compensation to keep our best educators where they belong: in our schools.

    • Professional Development should be practical, collaborative, and focused on what actually works in our changing classroom landscapes. Mark will ensure educators have consistent opportunities to collaborate directly with the Board on curriculum, programs, and policy, because the people qualified to teach students should have a fair say in shaping their education.

Inclusive, Safe & Mentally Healthy Schools

Every child deserves to feel welcomed, valued, and safe every day. 

Mark has never met a parent who wants their child to feel unwelcome at school. Research is clear: students who feel safe and have more trusted adults to turn to are more likely to succeed academically and socially. Mark will make school culture a central focus of his work on the Board.

    • Mental health is one of the most pressing challenges facing young people today. Mark will push to lower the student-to-counselor ratio, recruit more diverse mental health professionals, and ensure every school has the support its students actually need.

    • Mark supports disciplinary practices that are fair, non-punitive, and focused on growth rather than exclusion. He'll advocate for expanded educator training in restorative justice, conflict resolution, and trauma-informed care — and ensure School Resource Officers are trained to be student supporters, not disciplinarians.

    • Every student — including LGBTQ+ students, students of color, and students with disabilities — deserves to feel seen and protected. Mark will strengthen and enforce anti-bullying and nondiscrimination policies, support student-led cultural and identity groups, and mandate the protection of students' freedom to read and learn.

Equity & Excellence in Learning for Every Student

It’s up to us to build the future our children will inherit. That work begins in the classroom.

Breaking down barriers is nothing new to Mark; as a school administrator and principal he’s raised graduation rates, expanded access to advanced coursework, and fought for students who too often get left behind. As a Board member, he’ll bring that same commitment to every HCPSS policy decision.

    • Mark will work to remove the barriers that keep underrepresented students out of Honors, AP, IB, and dual enrollment programs — and ensure that once they're in, they have the tutoring and mentoring support they need to succeed.

    • Every special education student and educator deserves the support, resources, and tailored instruction required to thrive. Mark will push to move away from segregated models and champion inclusive classrooms that benefit all learners.

    • HCPSS families should have a real, meaningful seat at the table. Mark will create transparent, accessible channels for parent and community input on Board decisions, and build stronger partnerships with local organizations to provide wraparound services, mentorship, and career readiness support.

    • Mark will work to connect HCPSS students with nonprofits, trade associations, government agencies, and employers to provide robust professional development opportunities, and consolidate county scholarship information into one central hub every student can access.