O'MALLEY FOCUSES ON EDUCATION AND COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

Series of New Campaign Ads Tout Record Investments in Public Education, School Construction, and a Four-Year Tuition Freeze

Baltimore, MD (September 29, 2010) -- The O'Malley-Brown campaign is focusing on public education and college affordability in a series of three new TV ads that begin airing today in the Baltimore market. The "Education" series highlights Governor O'Malley's record investments in public education and school construction even in the toughest times, as well as the Governor's fight to make college more affordable for more Marylanders.

Under the leadership of Governor O'Malley, Maryland Public Schools have been ranked #1 in the country by "Education Week," for the past two years in a row. High School students in Maryland have the best Advanced Placement scores and highest participation rates in the country.  Elementary and middle schools students are scoring the best they ever have on standardized tests and the achievement gap between black and white students has been cut in half. 

View the ads here:

In "Tuition,"Maryland college students talk about how Governor O'Malley's tuition freeze made it possible for them to get a college education.  One student notes, "I'm not sure I would have been able to afford college with out the tuition freeze."  Another says, "My brother and I never would have been able to afford college."

In "Tradition," Governor O'Malley outlines his plan to continue investing in our #1-ranked education system so that every child in every neighborhood can receive a world class education and protecting Maryland's tradition of strong schools and putting public education first.

"Education Compare," analyzes Governor O'Malley and Bob Ehrlich's records on public education.  While Martin O'Malley froze college tuition, Bob Ehrlich increased college tuition costs by 40%.  Bob Ehrlich cut school construction funding leading to a crisis in our public schools, and he voted to eliminate the Department of Education while serving in congress.  In contrast, Governor O'Malley made record investments in public education and school construction and fought to make college more affordable by freezing tuition for four years in a row.   

Governor O'Malley has been recognized nationally for his efforts to advance public education in Maryland.  This year, he was named "America's Greatest Education Governor" by the National Education Association and under his leadership, Maryland recently won one of only ten federal Race to the Top Grants. 

These ads highlight the stark contrasts between the two candidates and emphasizes the need to continue moving forward with a Governor who is on the side of Maryland's working families.  

Tuition

:30 T.V.
Student #1: My dad is a supervisor of a train station and my mom's a teacher
Student #2: My dad's an auto technician
Student #3: My mom's a receptionist
Student #4: I'm not sure I would have been able to afford college with out the tuition freeze
Student #5: While tuition in other states is rising out of reach
Student #2: Governor O'Malley made the tough choice to freeze tuition
Student #4: He made my dream of going to college into a reality
Student #1: I'm the first in my family to go to college
Student #5: My brother and I never would have been able to afford college
Student #2: Even though times were tough
Student #4: Governor O'Malley kept his promise
Student #5: There's never a doubt
Student #6: There's never a doubt whose side he's on
Narrator: Martin O'Malley, moving Maryland forward

Tradition

:30 T.V.

Governor O'Malley: Right here in this neighborhood, I grew up learning strong families and hard work means opportunity.
And that starts with good schools.
It's a tradition here in Maryland and why, in these tough times, I've put education first.
We've made record investments in our classrooms, doubled the number of charter schools, and we've frozen college tuition for four years in a row.
And it's working.
Experts say we now have the number one schools in the nation.
But when it comes to expanding opportunity in every neighborhood, I know that we must do even better.

Education Compare

:30 T.V.

Narrator:

Two governors.  Two different approaches.

Even in good times, Bob Ehrlich did NOT make education a priority.

He increased college tuition by 40%.

Cut school construction by 200 million dollars.

And Ehrlich voted to eliminate the Department of Education, while serving in Congress

But Martin O'Malley, even in the toughest of times as made record investments in public schools.

New school construction.

And O'Malley FROZE COLLEGE TUITION four years in a row.

With Martin O'Malley, our children always come first.