May 8, 2020 For Immediate Release
BALTIMORE — On May 7, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed legislation that funded the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, also known as The Kirwan Plan. The funding was designed to improve state public education and close the equity gap for countless students.
Baltimore City Public Schools, through CEO Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, is sharing the following message to the community:
“The governor’s veto of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is disappointing, but it is only a temporary setback in our state's collective effort to support excellent and equitable education. The vote by the Maryland General Assembly earlier this year clearly demonstrated our shared belief that no matter where you raise your family in our state, that neighborhood should have a strong public school with stable, adequate, and equitable funding. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent closure of school buildings have highlighted that some students without access to technology or internet are unable to access online learning and are losing ground. Existing inequities are growing larger. Now more than ever, we need the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future to create strong schools in every neighborhood by expanding career and technical education, hiring more educators and increasing their pay, providing additional support to struggling learners, and delivering a more prosperous future for our state. This is the time to take critical steps towards a new era of opportunity and success for all our students.”