E-Newsletter: Back to School and Winning the Future

Statement

-A Message from the Governor

Over the past couple of weeks, we've welcomed students back to school across Maryland. As we begin a new school year, it's a good time to reflect on education's importance as a ladder of opportunity. A stronger middle class is not the consequence of economic growth - it is the cause of economic growth. We must continue to invest in our schools in order to build the workforce that our 21st century economy demands.

In Maryland, the O'Malley-Brown administration has an eight-year track record of making smart investments in our schools and in our children. While 35 states retreated on education funding during the recession, we are one of only 13 states to increase funding per student -- we invested a record $6.05 billion in FY15 funding. We're also making new investments in quality Pre-K programs to ensure more of our youngest learners will be ready for the challenges ahead. Working together with students, parents, teachers, legislators, and school officials across our great state, we've built the nation's #1 public school system. Education Week Magazine ranked our public schools #1 in the nation for five years in a row (while they didn't name a #1 state this year, we once again earned the top composite score).

We've also taken steps to make college more affordable for more Maryland families. Instead of slashing investments in higher education like many states have, the O'Malley-Brown Administration worked with the General Assembly to freeze tuition for four years -- the only state to do so. And since then, we've kept tuition increases to 3% or less for the University System of Maryland.

Today, our choices are paying off. Both the College Board and the Washington Post recognize that Maryland is doing more to hold down the cost of college tuition than any other state in America. The Pew Center on the States named Maryland one of the top three states in the nation for upward economic mobility. In 2013, Maryland had the second highest job creation rate of any state in the Mid-Atlantic region -- faster than both Pennsylvania and Virginia. And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce named Maryland #1 for innovation and entrepreneurship three years in a row, and #1 for STEM jobs.

The O'Malley-Brown Administration has never turned away from education; today, our students, and the state of Maryland are stronger as a result.

Thank you,
Governor O'Malley

-What's happening?

Keeping Marylanders Healthy

As Business Insider detailed, "An Amazing Healthcare Revolution Is Happening In Maryland" - where the state has driven down preventable hospitalizations per 100,000 Marylanders by 11.5% since 2011, exceeding Governor O'Malley's goal to reduce preventable hospitalizations by 10% by the end of 2015.

Unnecessary hospital visits represent one of the most preventable public health challenges facing Maryland and the nation. Governor O'Malley has been implementing innovative solutions to address this growing problem. In 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Maryland's all-payer rate-setting system which will improve patient care and reduce health care costs.

Princeton University health care economist Uwe Reinhardt stated, "This is without any question the boldest proposal in the United States in the last half century to grab the problem of cost growth by the horns." Governor O'Malley has also led the implementation of the Maryland's Health Information Exchange (CRISP), which connects Maryland's physicians, hospitals, and labs with real-time information ensuring continuity of care for all patients.

While every person should have access to critical care at hospitals, the O'Malley-Brown Administration is working to keep more people healthy and reduce the number and length of hospital stays, which in turn reduces costs for families and our health care systems.

Driving Down Crime

Last month, Governor O'Malley announced that 2013 year-end crime data compiled by the Maryland State Police shows that violent crime and property crime in Maryland has been driven down to the lowest rates since 1975. Total crime has been driven down 2.3% since 2012, with 4,394 fewer crimes reported. In 2013, the total number of rapes was driven down by 5.4% with 67 fewer than in 2012.

Upon taking office in 2007, the O'Malley-Brown Administration set a goal of driving down violent crime by 20% by the end of 2012. Click here to view the full uniform crime report.

-Marylanders on the Move: AmeriCorps Members and Alums

This year marks the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps in Maryland and across the nation. Since 1994, more than 21,000 AmeriCorps Members have served more than 28 million hours in our state.

On September 12, new Maryland AmeriCorps members will be sworn in for the start of another service year, where they will take on the most pressing needs in Maryland. From educating students and cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, to supporting veterans and military families and providing health services, members come together for one driving purpose - to get things done for America.

-Innovation Maryland: BayBucks wins inaugural Databay Competition

In last month's DataBay "Reclaim the Bay" Innovation Challenge, more than 80 scientists, programmers, techies and other civic hackers came together to create data-driven applications that increase public engagement and aid in Chesapeake Bay restoration.

The Challenge's winner was BayBucks, an application that uses an online reward system to track and encourage user contributions to a healthier Chesapeake Bay. The application offers incentives and discounts from businesses to its users in exchange for the actions they take to improve the health of the Bay. Using a point system, users are rewarded for simple actions, such as installing a rain barrel in their yard.

Sponsors of the event included the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences, the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

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