For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Dave Heilker
Communications Specialist, Strong Schools Maryland
david@strongschoolsmaryland.org
EDUCATION COALITION CALLS ON NEXT MARYLAND COMPTROLLER TO MAKE "PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION"
Annapolis, MD (September 20, 2022) – Strong Schools Maryland, on behalf of the Coalition for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, issued an open letter to the state comptroller candidates on Tuesday,, calling on them to make a “Public commitment to Public Education” through a public statement of support of the Blueprint. Shamoyia Gardiner, Executive Director, issued the following remarks:
“When Comptroller Franchot released his FY22 Closeout Report on September 14th, members of the Coalition for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future had hoped the comptroller would update Marylanders on the funding progress of the most robust investment our state has made in a decade. In light of this, our coalition is calling on our next comptroller to commit to this level of transparency and clarity.
“Since the passing of the Blueprint, Strong Schools Maryland has positioned our coalition to hold our elected leaders accountable – not just in implementing the Blueprint with faith and fidelity, but in doing so while following both the letter and spirit of the law.
“Today, we join more than 40 Strong Schools Maryland Team Leaders and Team members, and nearly 50 education advocacy organizations – a collective that represents every county in Maryland – to call on the next comptroller to make a commitment to public education by supporting the full-funding of the Blueprint and by providing Marylanders evidence of how the Blueprint is being funded at the close of each fiscal year, if not more frequently.
“Maryland is the wealthiest state in the country. To be a responsible steward of our wealth, our next comptroller must acknowledge that public education is the most provably-impactful investment in both the long and the short term. It is time for our candidates to commit to our schools, our educators, our families, and our communities. We look forward to comptroller candidates’ commitment to making our public schools the most meaningful investment in our state’s portfolio.”
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Founded in 2017, Strong Schools Maryland has organized tens of thousands of Marylanders to pass the transformative education reforms recommended by the Kirwan Commission, collectively known as The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, successfully passing that law in 2020 and overriding the Governor’s veto in 2021. Since the passing of The Blueprint, Strong Schools Maryland leads the charge in monitoring the implementation of the law with fidelity.