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Bill will widen achievement gap, deny families valuable data
Baltimore, M.D.—Today, Jenese Jones, interim executive director for MarylandCAN: The Maryland Campaign for Achievement Now released the following statement in response to the General Assembly’s override of Gov. Hogan’s Protect Our Schools Act veto:
“I am deeply saddened by the Democratic-controlled Assembly’s hasty move to keep HB 978, a bill that will now widen Maryland’s achievement gap and severely dilute our ability give schools, teachers and families the insight into student performance they so deserve. By passing this bill into law, legislators have made it clear adult interests are more important than student interests, and now it’s our children who will suffer.
“Today is a sad day for Maryland’s students. Our children deserve every opportunity to succeed and thrive, but reducing the importance given to academic indicators shows our students that teachers aren’t responsible for their learning. Maryland, once a beacon of hope for school improvement across the country, is now holding students back.”
For more information or interviews with Jenese Jones, contact Yam Menon at 203-767-7848.
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MarylandCAN: Launched in 2012, MarylandCAN: The Maryland Campaign for Achievement Now advocates for the policies necessary to ensure that all children in Maryland receive a high-quality education. We improve policy to help all students thrive and share promising practices and stories to demonstrate that all kids CAN succeed.