Mark Ponder is a recently elected member of the Francis Howell School District Board of Education, having joined the board in April 2023. Alongside other conservative board members, Ponder has been involved in several controversial decisions, including the removal of Black History and Black Literature electives from the district’s curriculum. The FHSD5 reinstated the classes after removing “social justice” from the materials. This move, which was met with significant public outcry, is part of a broader agenda pushed by the board’s conservative majority, which includes resisting what they perceive as politically motivated content in education.
Ponder, like his fellow board members, has expressed a commitment to aligning the district’s educational content with a more extreme right wing framework. His actions and votes on the board reflect a focus on limiting discussions that align with social justice or activist-driven content, which he and his supporters believe do not belong in public education.