MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Maryland (7News) — The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) asked voters on November 5 to embrace three school board candidates, and they did.

“Voters agreed with us and elected all three of our candidates by wide margins,” said MCEA President David Stein.

On Nov. 12, 7News sat down with Stein to discuss the changes in school board leadership.

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Incumbent Rebecca Smondowski, Lynne Harris and Shebra Evans, who lost the May primary, are now unemployed.

Newcomers Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart and Natalie Zimmerman are joining the seven-member board and will be officially installed on December 2.

“It says voters are ready to turn the page. “We’ve gone through a long period, a period of several years, where there were real problems in our school district, like scandals and corruption, and a lack of transparency and communication, not only with staff and educators, but with the community at large.”

“What will your organization do to hold this next generation of leaders accountable?”

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Stein responded: “We will work very closely with them. Not just the people who get on the board, but the people who keep going. “We will make sure they listen to educators and our concerns because our working conditions are students’ learning conditions.”

SEIU Local 500, which represents support staff such as secretaries and bus drivers, has endorsed incumbents in the school board race.

“Local 500 stands ready to collaborate and build relationships with new BOE members to ensure the work of education support staff professionals is recognized, respected and valued at MCPS,” the union said in a statement to 7News.

The Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education said the terms of outgoing school board members will end on Nov. 30, and incoming members will attend their first business meeting on Dec. 5.