Di Zou

Di Zou, 19, is student at the University of Maryland.

He is a graduate of the Howard County school system and a sophomore at the University of Maryland College Park where he is pursuing a degree in Mathematics and Economics. He serves as a member of the HCPSS Technology Advisory Committee. A nine-year resident of Howard Country, his brother is currently a student at the Bushy Park Elementary school.

• As a member of the Board of Education I would like to reform county level standardized testing; work with the state to reform state mandated standardized testing; reintroduce the vocational education system; use my knowledge of technology to make sure the school system has an efficient technological base; and make sure the school system has a smart and thoughtful plan towards school construction and renovation.
• The most urgent problem facing the school system is the lack of enthusiasm in students for going to school. The school system should be about education, not about schooling. We need to get students to be able to look forward to going to school every day. We also need to get parents, teachers and the community to be enthusiastic about the education the students are receiving. We need to be able to provide better education, not schooling, while making it more enjoyable for the students.
• I would encourage teachers to work individually with students that are under- performing. I would also encourage more teachers to work with a class that is under-performing. I would also explore the use of alternative teaching methods with under-performing students.
• Some opportunities to make Howard County Schools more environmentally friendly would be: to get rid of Styrofoam and switch to plastic or paper in school cafeterias; increase computer and technology use for assignments which would reduce the amount of paper waste in schools; promote recycling in the classroom; and encourage energy efficient windows and doors in school construction and renovation.
• As a member of the Technology Advisory Committee he would like to see the school system upgrade its technology infrastructure and provide better training for the staff. He would also like to bring back vocational classes such as auto mechanics and carpentry.
• Zou is unhappy with the school system's use of standardized testing. He believes this encourages students to "regurgitate facts" instead of using critical thinking. The exams may "provide a good baseline for how students are performing," but they also force teachers "to teach to the test, and that's never a good thing. You want the teachers to use their own judgment to teach the way that they think their students will learn the best."
• Zou is dissatisfied with the state's upcoming graduation requirements, mandating students to pass four subject tests to obtain their diploma. "I don't agree with it, but there's not a whole lot I can do to change that," he admits.
• Having just graduated from the Howard County school system in 2006, I am young, and I bring a fresh new perspective. I've experienced everything first-hand and recently. I think I have ideas no one else could come up with. I think I'm more in touch with the students.

Email Address: dizouforboe@gmail.com

Compiled from reports published by the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, The Howard County Times and the League of Women Voters.