High and Mighty Maryland is... Obnoxiously Smug.
Muwahaha!
Here that guys!? I'll be competing globally sometime soon! I'll beat out those 20 other countries! They won't know what hit 'em!
You can all start thanking and praising me now. Oh, and Zach too, I guess...
A party held in my honor wouldn't be too much either! In fact, a party is the least that I deserve!
*smug and proud*
Governor Martin O'Malley made a rare appearance before the State Board of Education Tuesday where he laid out a seven-part plan for improving Maryland's public schools.
Maryland was recently ranked as having the best education system in the country. The governor outlined his vision for keeping that honor.
Suzanne Collins has more on the governor's visit.
It would have been a painful presentation, full of education cuts. Instead Governor O'Malley was able to tell the State Board of Education stimulus funds will pump more than $720 million into schools across Maryland.
Right now, Maryland has the highest percentage of students in the nation taking advanced placement courses and its public school system was recently ranked the best in the country by Education Week Magazine.
It's an honor the governor doesn't take lightly.
"To have the number one, what is recognized by Education Week as the best public school system in America, is no small asset," he said.
But now O'Malley says the state needs to work to make its schools competitive globally. He says about 20 other countries are surpassing the U.S.
"We should be striving for the sake of our kids' future to become the best public school system in the world. It's not hyperbole, that is necessity," he said.
O'Malley wants to prepare students to compete in a global market. He also says improvements are needed in math, science and technology
education. He says that can be achieved by making the curriculum more relevant to students' lives.
"All kids are curious about what is going on in this financial world of ours, what led to the foreclosure crisis, what can they do to halt the march of climate change and global warming. So I think the urgency is there, but I don't think we have integrated those issues, those current events, into the curriculum of science, technology, engineering and math," O'Malley said.
O'Malley also wants to make high school seniors "college ready" and not taking remedial classes. The Baltimore Schools CEO says it may be hard for city kids, but it's critical to compete.
"I think we need to make sure our kids don't have to take remedial classes. I think we need to do a better job of understanding where our kids are performing, so as soon as they hit the ground in college they are taking credit-bearing classes," said Andres Alonso, Baltimore City Schools CEO.
The O'Malley administration also wants to expand career and technical education plus work on principal/teacher retention and recruitment.
"I think the governor's message gives momentum to the efforts we are making," said Nancy Grasmick, State School Superintendent. "The stimulus package gives us more funding to pursue those things."
More than $260 million will also be spent to improve school buildings. The governor says he thinks Maryland can win even more in grants from the federal government by competing with other states.
Here that guys!? I'll be competing globally sometime soon! I'll beat out those 20 other countries! They won't know what hit 'em!
You can all start thanking and praising me now. Oh, and Zach too, I guess...
A party held in my honor wouldn't be too much either! In fact, a party is the least that I deserve!
*smug and proud*
Governor Martin O'Malley made a rare appearance before the State Board of Education Tuesday where he laid out a seven-part plan for improving Maryland's public schools.
Maryland was recently ranked as having the best education system in the country. The governor outlined his vision for keeping that honor.
Suzanne Collins has more on the governor's visit.
It would have been a painful presentation, full of education cuts. Instead Governor O'Malley was able to tell the State Board of Education stimulus funds will pump more than $720 million into schools across Maryland.
Right now, Maryland has the highest percentage of students in the nation taking advanced placement courses and its public school system was recently ranked the best in the country by Education Week Magazine.
It's an honor the governor doesn't take lightly.
"To have the number one, what is recognized by Education Week as the best public school system in America, is no small asset," he said.
But now O'Malley says the state needs to work to make its schools competitive globally. He says about 20 other countries are surpassing the U.S.
"We should be striving for the sake of our kids' future to become the best public school system in the world. It's not hyperbole, that is necessity," he said.
O'Malley wants to prepare students to compete in a global market. He also says improvements are needed in math, science and technology
education. He says that can be achieved by making the curriculum more relevant to students' lives.
"All kids are curious about what is going on in this financial world of ours, what led to the foreclosure crisis, what can they do to halt the march of climate change and global warming. So I think the urgency is there, but I don't think we have integrated those issues, those current events, into the curriculum of science, technology, engineering and math," O'Malley said.
O'Malley also wants to make high school seniors "college ready" and not taking remedial classes. The Baltimore Schools CEO says it may be hard for city kids, but it's critical to compete.
"I think we need to make sure our kids don't have to take remedial classes. I think we need to do a better job of understanding where our kids are performing, so as soon as they hit the ground in college they are taking credit-bearing classes," said Andres Alonso, Baltimore City Schools CEO.
The O'Malley administration also wants to expand career and technical education plus work on principal/teacher retention and recruitment.
"I think the governor's message gives momentum to the efforts we are making," said Nancy Grasmick, State School Superintendent. "The stimulus package gives us more funding to pursue those things."
More than $260 million will also be spent to improve school buildings. The governor says he thinks Maryland can win even more in grants from the federal government by competing with other states.