In two days, you’ll get he chance to choose the next representative to the board of education in District 2, which includes College Park. There are two candidates running for this position – both of them are officials working for the City of College Park. I’ve compiled a side-by-side list of their backgrounds and the issues they stand on. Hope you will find them useful to decide who to vote next Tuesday.  

  Peggy Higgins Mark Cook
 Education
  • MA, general administration/state and local govt, Univ MD/Univ College;
  • MA, social work, Catholic University
  •  AA, Miami-Dade Community College; course work, Georgetown University and Catholic University
 Occupation
  • Director, City of College Park Youth, Family and Senior Services
  • College Park City Councilman; Technology
  • Performance management adviser.
Elected offices / Civic activities
  • Member and past president, Md Assoc of Youth Services Bureaus
  • Former member, PG Co. Head Start Policy Council
  • Founding member, Lakeland STARS;
  • Member, NAACP;
  • Member, National Federation of Business and Professional Women.
  • College Park City Council, 2007-10;
  • Board member, Prince George’s Family Crisis Center;
  • Chair, College Park Advisory Planning Commission (zoning board);
  • Past member, College Park’s Committee for a Better Environment;
  • Past co-chair, Public Affairs Group of the Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce.
Campaign FocusCultivate “schools we have confidence in.” She stressed that parents and families need to have confidence that the schools are going to be able to challenge and educate their children fully.Work to promote smaller class sizes, fight to maintain current funding and staffing levels, find ways to retain skilled instructors and protect the programs that position the school system for future growth and improvements
Endorsements
  • The Washington Post
  • Almost every official in District 2 — including Iliff, five of College Park’s seven other council members
  • County Councilman Eric C. Olson (D-Dist. 3) of College Park
  • The District 21 and 22 state legislative delegations
  • AFL-CIO and officials including state Attorney General Douglas Gansler (D)
  • Chris Nagle, Dist 1, College Park Council member
  • Former District 4 Board of Education member Linda Thornton Thomas
Websitewww.electhiggins.orgwww.markcook.com