About

Our Mission

Orange Ballot PAC is a pro-public education, conservative political action committee established under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code to inform and mobilize Maryland voters in support of conservative Board of Education candidates. We champion parental rights, evidence-based curriculum transparency, school choice, and fiscal responsibility to keep students the priority. Through voter education, endorsements, and grassroots efforts, we work to elect leaders who restore academic excellence in Maryland schools.

WHO WE ARE

MEET THE FOUNDERS OF THE ORANGE BALLOT PAC

Hi friends! I'm Marie, and alongside my husband Charles, we co-founded the Orange Ballot PAC earlier this year in response to the growing influence of teacher union-backed candidates in our schools.

Our journey began when our daughter—who attends Frederick County Public Schools—brought home a math assessment using gender-neutral pronouns. That moment sparked our deeper involvement in school board advocacy and a passion for real, meaningful change.

Charles, originally from South Africa, serves as our Treasurer. I’m a native of Emmitsburg, MD and currently Chair the PAC. We’ve lived in Point of Rocks since 2010, been married 18 years, and are proud Republicans working to support strong conservative voices in education. I work as a freelance graphic designer and substitute teacher, giving me a unique window into what’s really happening in classrooms today.

After volunteering as a poll worker this past November and supporting write-in candidate Heather Fletcher for Board of Education, the inspiration hit: if the left has a red Apple Ballot… we need an Orange one. And so, the Orange Ballot was born—Apples to Oranges!

We’re starting in Frederick County with hopes to grow across Maryland. Download our flyer with a comparison chart on the front and a mockup of our ballot design on the back.

We’d love your feedback, support, and advice as we build this grassroots effort to elect solid, conservative Board of Education candidates. Let’s make our voices heard!

—Marie & Charles

Learn More

If you are interested in flipping apples to oranges in your county, please reach out us and help support conservative BOE candidates throughout Maryland.

If you're a parent or voter who wants to help fund flyers or signs, please consider making a donation today!

Donate Today!

exposing Maryland laws & FCPS policies/curriculum

Please reach us at info@orangeballot.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Academic Failure? They Call It Graduation.

In 2023–24, 68.2% of FCPS graduates failed their College and Career Readiness tests — but FCPS pushed them across the stage anyway. Teachers were pressured to pass students who weren’t ready. That’s not education. That’s a cover-up.

And it gets worse. The state lowered testing standards in 2022 — shorter tests, easier questions, and a system that adjusts based on how poorly students do. Even then, 2024 results were a disaster:

40% failed English
68% failed Math
67% of 8th graders failed Science

Nearly a billion dollars in FCPS funding — and they’re failing our kids. What did County Executive Jessica Fitzwater do? She raised your property taxes to send even more money to this broken system. Zero accountability. Zero results.

is Critical Gender Theory Is in Our Classrooms? yes!

Since 2018, FCPS has quietly inserted Critical Gender Theory into middle and high school Family Life classes. In 2022, they doubled down — bringing the same ideology into elementary schools through the Maryland Comprehensive Health Framework. Now, high schoolers need a full year of “Health” to graduate.

What about Your Child’s Pronouns?

Under FCPS Policy 443, every student is asked their pronouns — and staff are required to use them in every interaction.

That’s not all. Students can:

Choose any bathroom, locker room, or sports team
Go on overnight trips based on gender identity
Transition socially or medically — all without parental consent

Teachers and staff are barred from telling parents. You’re no longer in the loop.

Mental Health or Mental Hijack?

The DOJ found FCPS guilty of illegally restraining and secluding 125 children with disabilities over 7,000 times — and no one was held accountable. Now, they’ve gone further. Since 2021, 12-year-olds can consent to mental health treatment alone. In 2024, FCPS launched Basecamp, a digital mental health platform with:

Self-guided behavior tools
Unregulated chat rooms
Access for students as young as sixth grade — no parental notice required

Funded by the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, Basecamp is the first step toward turning public schools into health centers that answer to the state — not to you.

Yes — Your Tax Dollars Fund Abortions and Gender Surgeries

Maryland law lets minors access abortions and contraceptives without telling parents. In 2024, the “Reproductive Freedom Amendment” locked it into the state constitution. Now, Maryland is a Sanctuary State for:

Out-of-state minors seeking abortions and gender transitions
Taxpayer-funded puberty blockers, sterilization, surgeries, and more

Meanwhile, cancer patients are denied fertility coverage that’s freely given for gender transitions. Where’s the justice in that?

Did You Know? Planned Parenthood Has a Seat in Our Classrooms!

FCPS approved a Planned Parenthood educational video — ads included — for 7th graders. School nurses? They’re employed by the Frederick County Health Department, a Planned Parenthood partner. Their influence isn’t just creeping in — it’s embedded.

Why are Obscene Books Still on the Shelves?

Two years ago, parents challenged 35 graphic books in school libraries. Superintendent Dyson removed one — and only because it was factually wrong. The rest? Still there. Despite public outrage. Despite a Frederick News Post survey showing 70% want them gone.

Sources