Senators Write to Governor About Education Spending

Yesterday, sixteen Senators wrote the following letter to Governor O'Malley about education spending in next year's budget.

January 13, 2009

Governor Martin O'Malley
State House
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Governor O'Malley:

We write to support your efforts to preserve progress for Maryland's families in the midst of America's worst economic crisis since the great depression of the 1930's.

In recent years, Maryland has improved our public schools and made college more affordable by investing in our young people. Since the state committed to the Thornton formula, student test scores are up by double digits. In response to a recent Education Week report moving Maryland up from number three to number one in student achievement, the Baltimore Sun noted "efforts to improve are beginning to pay off." The results are in -- investment in public education works. And, since 2006, your freeze on tuition increases at our public four year colleges has reduced Maryland tuition from the 6th highest in the nation down to 16th.

This progress is threatened by the national recession. Indeed, some have proposed slashing our successful investment in public education -- by cutting the Geographic Cost of Education and state payment of teachers' pensions, in particular -- in a misguided attempt to get the state through these difficult times. Such an approach certainly won't help Maryland families survive these tough times and would do long term damage to our state's economic competitiveness.

Raising college tuition and laying off public school teachers would make the recession worse by reducing consumer aggregate demand in the economy, thus hurting the private sector as well. Reducing our investment in public education now would make working families double victims -- first of Wall Street and then of their own government.

The alternative -- and the right answer -- is clear. As President-elect Barack Obama has said, the federal government needs to act on the lessons of the great depression. In a deep national economic downturn, it must promptly launch a major stimulus plan, including substantial investment in the core functions of state and local government -- education, health, public safety, and transportation.

To get America's economy moving again, now is the time to accelerate investment in Maryland's successful education efforts, not cut them. We must not roll back basic commitments we have made to students, teachers and communities in pursuit of educational excellence.

Thus, we urge you to identify the federal stimulus aid Maryland needs immediately to avoid cuts in education investment. Specifically, that means providing enough investment in Maryland's public schools and colleges to hold down tuition, block cuts in state aid to local schools, and accelerate expansion of successful improvements.

Federal capital investment should focus on public schools and colleges, as well as transportation, the environment, and technology. With Maryland's recently increased debt capacity, the state can be a strong partner in such job-creating efforts.

We look forward to working with you, our colleagues, local officials, and our congressional delegation to assure that the federal economic stimulus package puts the priority on our families' needs.

Best wishes,

Joan Carter Conway
George Della
Jennie Forehand
Brian Frosh
Rob Garagiola
Lisa Gladden
David Harrington
Nancy King
Rona Kramer
Mike Lenett
Rich Madaleno
Anthony Muse
Paul G. Pinsky
Jamie Raskin
Jim Robey
Jim Rosapepe