Maryland (Map, News) - In a move that signals an upcoming post-election shake-up of the Maryland State Department of Education Board, Gov. Martin O’Malley has submitted the names of four new appointment nominees to the General Assembly. If confirmed, those appointments would replace three members whose terms expire in June, including President Edward Root and one member who has not yet been confirmed by the state Senate.

While the Democratic mayor of Baltimore, O’Malley often clashed with the state board of education and state schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick, who with the support of Gov. Robert Ehrlich attempted a state takeover of 11 city schools.

The nominees for the four-year appointments are Charlene Dukes, vice-president of student services at Prince George’s Community College; Rosa Garcia of Silver Spring, legislative officer of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; Mary Kay Finan, associate professor of education at Frostburg State University; and Blair Ewing, a businessman from Montgomery County.

That group is scheduled for a 5 p.m. nomination hearing Wednesday before the Senate Executive Nominations Committee.

Grasmick said through MSDE spokesman Bill Reinhard she “looks forward to working for the new members of the board and values the new citizens the governor is appointing.”

Those nominees, if confirmed, will replace appointee Tonya Miles of Mitchellville and Maria Torres-Quera of Lutherville, Edward Root of Cumberland, and Calvin Disney of Cub Hill.

In an e-mail, Miles asked supporters to contact legislators on behalf of her reappointment.

“The governor is submitting four names for Senate confirmation, none of which will have the PTA advocacy, parent voice, or unbiased political voice for our children as I have had on the state board since my service in August 2006,” Miles said in the e-mail.

“The person slated to replace me immediately is a member of the former APPOINTED Prince George’s County Board of Education,” Miles’ e-mail said, in a reference to Dukes. “I assure you that our community’s voice will be silenced as it was under that leadership.”

rcassie@baltimoreexaminer.com