Thursday, June 17, 2010

School Board President Pat O'Neill Endorses Nancy King

Board of Education President Pat O'Neill has endorsed Senator Nancy King (D-39) in her primary contest with Delegate Saqib Ali. King served two terms on the school board prior to joining the House of Delegates in 2002. She was President of the board for two years and was one of the people who recruited MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast, a key decision in the history of Montgomery County. King maintains strong ties to the education community and serves on a key education budget sub-committee in the Senate. We should expect more endorsements of this kind.

Following is Senator King's press release.

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
June 17, 2010

Montgomery County Board of Education President O’Neill Endorses Senator Nancy King

Montgomery Village, Maryland – Citing Senator Nancy King’s long-standing commitment to public education, Montgomery County Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill today endorsed King’s campaign for the Maryland Senate.

“No one can match Nancy King’s experience. She understands education from the perspective of a parent, an activist, a school board member, and a legislator – and she fights everyday to protect the progress our public schools are making,” said Board of Education President O’Neill. “Nancy is a relentless and effective advocate for our public schools, with a record of beating back dangerous budget cuts and bringing home our fair share of school construction projects.”

Senator King served two years as President of the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations and eight years on the Montgomery County Board of Education, including two terms as its President. Elected to the House of Delegates in 2002, King served as Chair of the Education Subcommittee on the House Ways and Means Committee. She has served in the Senate since 2007, where she is a member of the Budget & Taxation Committee and serves as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families.

“My service in the Senate is a continuation of much of the work I began as a volunteer in Montgomery County’s schools, because I am still fighting to make sure our public school students are getting the best possible education,” said Senator King. “Despite the most challenging economy in generations, we protected public school funding and made significant investments in school construction and renovation projects this term.”

Senator King served District 39 in the House of Delegates from 2003 to 2007, when she was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Senator PJ Hogan. District 39 includes all or parts of the Montgomery County communities of Montgomery Village, Hadley Farms, Washington Grove, Flower Hill, Germantown, North Potomac, Darnestown, and Derwood.

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