Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

To ensure our children have the best opportunities, we must get education right.

Over the last decade, our education policies have failed to achieve the expectations of our parents and communities. Our teachers bear the burden of bad policy and our children pay the price of lost opportunities.

We cannot afford poor education policy or political games in our education system. As your Delegate, I pledge to fight to make Maryland's education system the best in the country.

Challenge and Empower Students
Students who are motivated will accomplish great things. Instead of lowering the bar, we should empower students by rewarding those with exemplary academic achievements the opportunity for grade advancement and early graduation. I pledge to support policies that will empower students to control their own advancement and allow teachers to focus on students who need help.

Trust Our Teachers
Our teachers are the most valuable resource of our educational system. They offer us decades of experience of working with directly with students. Instead of putting them at the front of our education system, our education policies are chasing teachers into retirement. It is vital that we put the trust of our curriculum back in the hands of our teachers. I pledge to support the repeal of Common Core, support the repeal of No Child Left Behind, and support policies that will put teachers in control of our educational curriculum.

Keep Our Education Funds Local
Over the last decade it has become commonplace to have tax dollars taken from schools and shifted to bureaucracies. This has increasingly allowed for control of policy and funds to shift away from our students and teachers. I pledge to fight to keep our education tax dollars in our schools.

Support an Elected School Board
Instead of being advocates of the community, the school board is being used to isolate elected officials from the concerns of parents and community members. It is time for an elected school board. I pledge to sponsor legislation to make Baltimore's school board an elected board.

Protect Teacher Pensions
Political games are continually played with teacher pensions. Teachers should not have to worry that their retirement will be borrowed from or that pension obligations will be dumped. I pledge to support policies that will put an end to this abuse of teacher trust.

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