CHANDRAI "CJ" JACKSON-SAUNDERS, M.ED., NCSP
A Record of Service. A Vision for What’s Next.
To everyone who voted, volunteered, encouraged, and supported our campaign—thank you.
With your support, we successfully advanced through the Primary Election. I am honored by your trust and grateful for the confidence you have placed in me.
Serving students, families, educators, and communities has been the driving purpose of my life because I believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and reach their fullest potential. That responsibility remains at the center of my work as I advocate for strong schools by ensuring that students and teachers have access to the tools, resources, and support systems required for success.
Together, we have made important progress, and together, we can achieve even more.
As we look ahead to the General Election, I respectfully ask for your continued support and your vote. There is still important work to do, and I remain committed to listening, leading, and advocating for what is best for our children, our families, and our community.
Thank you for believing in this vision and for allowing me the privilege of representing you.
Let's keep moving forward—together.
The best is still ahead.
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My Platform
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Support a sustainable budget to maintain specialty programs
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Ensure equitable resources for all schools
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Enforce Special Education Oversight and Compliance
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Enhance Mental Health Services for Scholars
Transparency & Accountability
I believe the public has a right to know how their money is being spent and whether it is working. That sounds obvious. It is not always practiced. I will advocate for quarterly public reporting on Blueprint implementation — not summaries, not talking points — actual data on spending, staffing levels, student outcomes, and corrective actions where targets are missed.
I also believe in the difference between governance and management. The board’s job is to set policy, establish measurable goals, and hold the Superintendent accountable for results. It is not to micromanage operations. But it is also not to rubber-stamp whatever the administration presents. I will ask hard questions in public settings, not just in closed sessions. I will expect follow-through when answers are incomplete. And I will make sure that community members — parents, educators, students — have real access to the information they need to hold all of us accountable, including me.
Throughout my career in public schools, I built programs grounded in one belief: families are not an afterthought. They are partners. I developed parent training initiatives and created programs that brought families into schools around nutrition, student development, and community well-being. I also helped lead parent-driven efforts that resulted in real improvements to school environments because families raised concerns and I listened. Engagement is not a talking point for me. It is something I have practiced throughout my career.
What I will not do as a Board Member is hold community meetings where parents speak and nothing changes. That is not engagement. That is theater. Real engagement means structured opportunities for input, documented responses to concerns raised, and visible accountability when community priorities are not reflected in decisions. Parents deserve a seat at the table when discussions are happening about school programs, budgets, and policy — not after decisions have already been made. Students should also have a voice in the process. They are the people most directly affected by these decisions, and they are often the most honest voices in the room.
Engagement is only meaningful when it influences decisions.
Family & Community Partnership
I also understand that equity is not achieved through slogans. It is reflected in how resources are allocated, whether commitments are honored, and whether high-need schools receive the support they require to succeed. After thirty-five years working in public schools that were often expected to do more with less, I understand the realities educators and clinicians face when systems are underfunded.
Throughout my professional life, I have worked to strengthen PreK–12 education by advancing early academic intervention, improving special education systems, and supporting student mental health and well-being as essential foundations for learning. As a longtime resident and active community member in Prince George’s County, I remain deeply committed to ensuring that every student — regardless of zip code, background, or circumstance — has access to high-quality instruction, safe learning environments, and meaningful pathways to college, career, and civic success.
Academic Equity
My approach is straightforward: fund the commitments we have already made before creating new ones. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, negotiated agreements, and Maintenance of Effort requirements are obligations that must be upheld. Within the resources available, I will advocate for investments that prioritize schools and students with the greatest needs, while also demanding accountability for spending that does not directly support student outcomes. Every dollar in a public school budget represents the trust of families and taxpayers, and it should be treated with that level of responsibility.
