Maryland’s public schools have been rated #1 in the country the last three years, and Baltimore City students have markedly improved their scores on achievement tests.

However, much remains to be done if we are to educate our kids for the 21^st Century economy and make our schools one of the reasons why young parents choose to live in Baltimore.

My priorities this session are:

* House Bill 1241, which would fund pre-kindergarten classes, which are vital to prepare many of our children to learn and to provide a positive experience for parents deciding whether to enroll their children in public school; and

* House Bill 613, which would keep our best teachers in the classroom by repaying their academic debt if they have received the highest performance evaluation rating, consistent with President Obama’s Race To The Top program, and are teaching in a school where 75% of the students are enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program.