For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Dave Heilker
Communications Specialist, Strong Schools Maryland
david@strongschoolsmaryland.org
STATEWIDE EDUCATION COALITION: “MORE THAN 50 CANDIDATES, INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE CANDIDATE FROM EACH STATEWIDE RACE HAVE TAKEN THE #BLUEPRINTPLEDGE”
Annapolis, MD (October 26, 2022) – The Coalition for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint Coalition), a statewide coalition of more than 50 education advocacy organizations, released a list of all candidates, sorted by office and county, who have made a “Public Commitment to Public Education,” accompanied by the following remarks from Shamoyia Gardiner, executive director at Strong Schools Maryland:
“We’re pleased to report that gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore, who was an active advocate for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future back in 2019, and his running mate Delegate Aruna Miller have both taken the #BlueprintPledge.
“We’ve also secured commitments from Rep. Anthony Brown, a candidate for Attorney General, as well as both candidates for comptroller, Harford County Executive Barry Glassman, and Delegate Brooke Lierman. We are focusing on shared values, and while we don’t endorse candidates, we do encourage voters to consider whether public education is a priority for their preferred candidates.
“The Blueprint passed with bipartisan support in 2020, and Governor Hogan’s capricious veto of the legislation was overturned with alacrity. Rather than asking for the public to commit to any political philosophy or party agenda, Strong Schools Maryland is helping you understand how candidates align with the average Marylander’s priority on public education.
“After eight years of a governor who has had to be dragged, kicking and screaming to fulfil the commitment to public education our state constitution demands, these commitments implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future with fidelity by candidates and incumbents who take their roles seriously gives us cause for optimism.”
The list of all candidates who have taken the #BlueprintPledge can be found on Strong Schools Maryland’s website, here www.strongschoolsmaryland.org/commitment22.
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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.