Hi! I’m Rita Montoya.
I am a mom, advocate, and change maker. As a mom of 3rd and 5th grade students at a MCPS elementary school, I know the hustle of the day-to-day and the carousel of viruses from September to June. I understand the need to know my children are in a safe, stable school environment when I kiss them goodbye in the morning. I know that school is more than a place where children learn to read and write and that clear, high expectations and healthy boundaries for youth are important. I want to make sure our children have the skills they need to thrive as adults.
As a past PTA President, I know the value of giving parents and caregivers a voice in their children’s educational journey and the importance of adhering to policies. I know the challenges of providing a robust menu of programs for a variety of populations while operating within a fixed budget. I know that priorities change at a moment’s notice, and flexibility in implementation and approach is important.
As an attorney and small business advisor, I know that strong, sound policies and well-funded budgets keep teachers and staff safe so that our children receive the education they deserve. I know the challenge of balancing various needs and viewpoints. I know that thorough accountability, leadership, oversight, and transparency are key to smooth, successful operations.
I am a lifelong advocate for underserved communities and have dedicated my entire career to advocacy and public service. I started out working as a tutor for elementary students learning English as their second language. I worked as a research analyst at a social services nonprofit. As a public defender, I represented thousands of clients unable to afford an attorney. I founded a patient advocacy nonprofit and, as a patient advocate, provided oral and written testimony in support of and against legislation, policies and regulatory efforts by Maryland legislators and regulatory bodies with input and collaboration from relevant stakeholders.
I began my education in Head Start preschool before attending Catholic school due to my parents' safety concerns about my local public school. Growing up in a home which placed a high value on education, I focused on my studies while playing a variety of sports including many years of competitive fast-pitch softball. After graduating from high school and beginning the process to enlist in the military because I thought it was the only way to fund my college education, I learned about financial aid and instead attended and graduated from American River Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in Social Science before transferring to a four-year university. At University of California, Davis, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, I participated in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, also referred to as the McNair Scholars Program, and the Summer Research Training Program at the University of California, San Francisco. After working in the Research Department of a social services nonprofit, I attended and graduated from the American University, Washington College of Law in Washington D.C. with a law degree. My global perspective is further informed by international legal studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and post-graduate policy studies at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
As a mom of two young kids, MCPS' decisions affect my family's day to day life and long-term plans. I am running for the Board of Education (BOE) to:
Support student achievement through sufficiently supported academic and extracurricular programs;
Ensure students and staff feel safe from emotional health challenges; hate bias and violence; and
Rebuild trust in MCPS and the BOE through modeling strong accountability, leadership, oversight and transparency.
I’m Rita Montoya. It’s nice to meet you.