Sally A. McCarthy is running for Montgomery County Board of Education District 3 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The nonpartisan seat is one of several board positions on the ballot this cycle. Cassandra Sung is also running for the District 3 seat.

The Board of Education sets policy, approves the budget and oversees the superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools, the state's largest school district.

Candidate information

  • Age: 55, according to her campaign
  • Residence: Chevy Chase, Maryland
  • Hometown: Born in Silver Spring, raised in North Potomac, McCarthy said in her Baltimore Banner voter guide response
  • Education: McCarthy said she holds a bachelor of arts in government and politics, a master's in education policy and a doctorate in education policy, all from the University of Maryland, College Park
  • Family: A Wootton High School graduate, McCarthy said she is the daughter of two MCPS teachers, married to an MCPS graduate and the mother of two MCPS graduates

Experience and public service

McCarthy works as a policy and planning researcher at the Association of Land-Grant Universities, according to Montgomery Community Media. That outlet also reported she previously served as a legislative manager at a state government relations firm and co-founded a nonprofit.

McCarthy said she served as a board member and budget chair of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs. She also said she was a PTA president at an MCPS school and a facilitator for MCPS school-based construction and safety workgroups.

On the issues

Early literacy and math instruction: McCarthy said reading readiness and fluency is "the building block for all academic success and improved outcomes." She called for robust investment in pre-kindergarten through third-grade reading and said every elementary school should have a math content specialist, similar to existing reading specialists.

Class sizes: McCarthy said class size discussions need to be revisited, especially for the youngest students. She said class sizes should prioritize ratios that optimize rigorous reading and math instruction, and that teachers must have ample classroom resources to implement upcoming curriculum changes.

School facilities: Maintenance failures matter, McCarthy said. She said HVAC, plumbing and roofing failures disrupt the school day. She called for public-facing data on planned and completed facilities improvements, including repairs, so families and staff can track progress.

School consolidation: McCarthy said MCPS should take "a precise and surgical approach to consolidation and closure" during the upcoming countywide elementary boundary study. She said the district relies too heavily on static data and should instead consult school communities to learn about real-time enrollments, local access to services and programs, and overall building use.

Cellphones and screen time: McCarthy said she supports classroom restrictions on student cellphone use across all grade levels. She said screen time for the youngest learners should be minimized outside of testing and special education support.

Endorsements

McCarthy has received endorsements from two education groups, according to the sources listed:

  • Montgomery County Education Association (per Montgomery Community Media)
  • Maryland State Education Association (per BallotReady)

McCarthy's policy positions are drawn from her responses to The Baltimore Banner's 2026 voter guide questionnaire and from her campaign website, as listed on BallotReady.