STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEING NAMED NUMBER-ONE IN THE NATION FOR FOUR STRAIGHT YEARS

Governor delivers keynote address at Education Week Quality Counts 2012 event in the nation’s capital

ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 12, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley, today delivered a keynote address at the Education Week Quality Counts 2012 event, where Maryland’s public schools were once again named the number-one public school system in the nation, now for four years in a row. The Governor released the following statement:

“I’d like to thank the students, parents, teachers, principals, administrators, and all of our advocates for continuing to achieve at unprecedented levels. Thanks to their tremendous work and dedication, we are able to say that Maryland’s public schools have been ranked number-one in the nation for the fourth straight year.

“In Maryland, we believe in making the investments needed to build the nation’s best public school system to help us create jobs, expand opportunity and move forward in this changing new economy. Together, we’ve made record investments in K-12 public schools, even during tough times, when we have cut record amounts of spending from virtually every other priority. In 2010, we proposed investing $250 million in school construction every year for the next four. This year, we’re asking our General Assembly to do $100 million better – with a $373 million investment which would support 11,650 jobs.

“To win, we have to recommit ourselves as a country to public education.”

To view a special message from the Governor, click here.