For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 18, 2018
From the Office of Council President Nancy Navarro
Support Our Schools tour is a group of local officials advocating for more education funding
ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 18, 2018—Council President Nancy Navarro will join District 18 Delegate-elect Jared Solomon, Councilman Zeke Cohen from the Baltimore City Council and other Maryland leaders from Baltimore, Prince Georges, Garrett and Anne Arundel County on a school tour of Parkland Middle School today at 12:30 p.m. in Rockville to speak with administrators and hold a press conference with the media.
“To maintain our competitive edge as a nation, we need a workforce that is prepared for the rapidly evolving job market,” said Council President Navarro, who chairs the Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and is a member of the Education and Culture Committee. “As we continue to make strategic investments in economic development to bring opportunities to all corners of the County, it is critical that we continue to support programs like Parkland’s Aerospace Technology Magnet Program, that equip our students with the technology and career-readiness skills needed to succeed in our global economy.”
Recently, the Kirwan Commission released a report recommending a $4.4 billion increase in education funding over the next decade. The commission’s job was to determine what it would take to transform Maryland’s education system into one that produces graduates who can compete with the best in the world. However, the commission must still determine the funding formula by which that money will be divided among the state’s 24 public school systems.
"Working together, we have a once in a generation opportunity to fully fund our schools and meet the needs of all youth across the state,” said Solomon. “Montgomery County is not the same place it was 20 years ago, and our needs have changed like those of our state. Rather than pitting jurisdictions against each other, we need to make sure the pie is big enough for everyone.”
The Support our Schools tour is a group of elected officials who came together to advocate for more education funding. The group’s goal is to unify support across all 23 counties and Baltimore city for the commission’s recommendations ahead of the 2019 Maryland General Assembly session.
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