Here are the PGCPS school board election winners

Five Prince George’s County Board of Education races were decided as of Thursday, about one month after November’s general election.

After May’s primary election, nine non-partisan candidates ran for five seats in Districts 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8.

Here are the winners of the Nov. 5 general election.

Tiffini Andorful – District 1

Tiffini Andorful won the District 1 seat against Donna Barriteau, receiving nearly 65 percent of the vote.

Andorful is a former high school social studies teacher, an educational equity advocate and a PGCPS parent, her campaign website said.

“It’s important that we have both teachers and parents’ voices on the board, people who understand Prince George’s County firsthand and who are invested,” Andorful told The Diamondback in October.

The District 1 race comes after incumbent school board member David Murray resigned from his position in July. While serving on the PGCPS school board, Murray began a role as chief academic officer for a Missouri school district, The Washington Post reported in July.

The Maryland State Board of Education received a request for Murray’s removal due to “willful neglect of duty.”

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Andorful ran for the seat to “secure a better future” for her children and students across the county according to her website.

As a board member, Andorful hopes to create safer schools, enhance college readiness and attract and retain high-quality teachers, her website said.

Shayla Adams-Stafford – District 4

Shayla Adams-Stafford ran unopposed and won a second term as the District 4 board member.

Adams-Stafford is also the CEO and founder of AdaptiveX, a software company that promotes racial equity-focused and culturally responsive education, according to her campaign website.

During her first term, Adams-Stafford launched an initiative to support in-person learning for vulnerable students during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to her website.

Her website also said she secured $10 million for underperforming schools and revitalized community engagement through the Parent and Community Advisory Council, a group that provides guidance to the school board and superintendent.

Robin Brown – District 5

Robin Brown defeated incumbent Zipporah Miller in the District 5 PGCPS school board race. Brown received 56 percent of the vote in last month’s election.

Brown, a PGCPS parent, told The Diamondback in October her son urged her to run for the school board after she encouraged him to join his high school’s student government association.

Brown is the program and policy analyst for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to her website. She previously worked at the U.S. Census Bureau as a congressional lead for Maryland, her website said.

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As a board member, Brown aims to prioritize cybersecurity protection for students, enhance support for families of children with disabilities and advocate for educational equity, according to her campaign website.

Phelton Moss – District 7

Phelton Moss won against incumbent Kenneth Harris II in the District 7 race. Moss earned 51 percent of the vote, while Harris received 47 percent.

Moss was previously a teacher and principal in Mississippi and works as an education policy professor at American University, his website said. Moss is also an education fellow at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Center for Education Innovation, according to his website.

As a school member, Moss hopes to increase access to high-quality after school programs, improve literacy rates and attract and retain skilled educators, his website said.

Moss looks forward to building a “world-class system” for PGCPS students and families, his website said.

Zakyia Goins-McCants – District 8

Zakyia Goins-McCants won the District 8 school board seat by a mere 13 votes against Angela Jones, according to State Board of Elections results Thursday. Goins-McCants received 20,024 out of the more than 40,000 votes cast in the district, while Jones earned 20,011.

Goins-McCants is the school data and performance interim director for District of Columbia Public Schools, according to her LinkedIn.

According to her campaign website, Goins-McCants is also a former PGCPS student and teacher in District 8 who will take a community and data-driven approach to improve equity in education.

“We have an opportunity now to literally lead the country in how we can provide those student groups with the best quality education that we can,” Goins-McCants told The Diamondback in October.

Goins-McCants told The Diamondback she wants to push for better pay and working conditions for educators as a board member. She also plans to prioritize enhancing school safety through advocating for increased training for de-escalation and conflict resolution strategies across her district, Goins-McCants added.