Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, issued the following statement on a compromise plan to expand gambling in Maryland and to direct some of the proceeds to support early childhood education and to fix outdated schools in Baltimore:
“Gov. Martin O’Malley and some of his legislative colleagues have offered a sensible compromise on the issue of casino expansion in Maryland. By earmarking proceeds to support pre-Kindergarten and school construction in Baltimore, they have made this a much easier pill to swallow. This support for common-sense education-based initiatives is the best possible outcome from what often ends up being some icky discussions. Politics is what it is, and the Legislature should take this deal. At the same, the public should demand that gambling money never supplant ongoing support for our public schools. It is still up to all of us to ensure that schools are adequately funded, subjected to rigorous accountability, and otherwise positioned to achieve success with our young people. This compromise gives those efforts a welcome boost.”
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a political action committee whose mission is to encourage a more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education. DFER operates on all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office. For more information, go to www.dfer.org.