MYERSVILLE, Md. ( DC News Now ) — In his annual State of the State address to the Maryland General Assembly today, Gov. Wes Moore renews his vow to make public schools as competitive as any in the nation.
In western Maryland, education advocate Jaime Blakeslee would like to see more of a commitment to charter schools.
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“Charter schools should absolutely have a higher profile and be a bigger part of the governor’s agenda,” Blakeslee said. “Charter schools actually do more with less.”
The governor said that during eight years of rising violent crime, law enforcement has “stepped into the gap” to keep communities safe.
In a rebuttal to the governor, Senate Minority Leader, Steve Hershey, called for tougher penalties for lawbreakers and he called for reform of the bail system.
In the Hagerstown area, Ethan Loewen is concerned about rising crime and says that “perhaps the most powerful policy that can be changed that has proven effective” is increasing police presence in neighborhoods and proactive policing.