School Board Narrows the Field to Five Finalists for Vacant Seat

· Sheldon A. Fishman, 59, a 30-year resident of Silver Spring, a graduate of public schools and father of four Montgomery public school graduates. He describes himself in application materials as the son of a teacher, husband of a teacher and parent of a teacher, and says he taught part time for many years in higher education.

Fishman ran for the District 4 seat in 2004 and finished second, behind Ervin, garnering 118,000 votes. His credentials include 20 years of PTA service, various roles on the County Council of PTAs and a 2001 honor of Maryland PTA Family of the Year.

"He's a workhorse, not a showhorse -- which I think the board could use," wrote Naomi Freeman, a supporter, in an e-mail supporting Fishman's candidacy. "I also think that he is truly interested in education."

· Alies Muskin, 50, of Silver Spring. She is chief operating officer of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. She is a 17-year resident of the district and has two children, one a graduate of county schools, the other a senior at Einstein High.

Muskin wrote in her application that she started a college fair seven years ago at Einstein High, initially out of concern that Hispanic students were not sufficiently exposed to higher education options. The fair became a schoolwide event and now draws students from across the region, with more than 100 colleges represented.

"The original idea was to have a college fair for Hispanic students," she said in an interview, "and we realized that we had a lot of Einstein students who, if they went to college, it would be their [family's] first time, and they were white, and they were Hispanic, and they were African American."

Muskin is a longtime PTA member and received the 2005 Maryland Life Membership Award from the county PTA.

· Victor B. Salazar, 42, of Silver Spring, vice president of legislation of the county PTA. He is the father of two students in the county schools.

"They are the two major reasons why I submit this application today," Salazar wrote in his letter to the board. "My children will be attending MCPS schools for many years to come. I am clearly vested in creating a vision and implementing programs that will meet the needs of all children attending Montgomery County Public Schools."

In 2005, at the height of highly publicized gang incidents in the county, Salazar was lead organizer of an anti-gang and youth violence forum that brought more than 100 people to Sligo Middle School in Silver Spring. He wrote that the experience helped him appreciate "the many pieces of the puzzle associated with total education reform."

· Beth A. Wong, 49, of Silver Spring. She works as acting deputy director for the Office of Community Relations in Prince George's County. As such, she is well connected to county leadership, and she says she knows her way around the corridors of power in Annapolis.

"I know these people," she said in an interview. And during budget season, she feels she can help lobby for the school board's interests and "make sure that Montgomery County has a bigger piece of the pie."

Wong ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat on the school board in 2000. In applying for the present position, she notes that the substantial Asian American population in the county schools lacks representation on the school board. Wong is Filipina. Both of her children attended county schools; the younger is now a freshman at the University of Maryland.