Public School Choice Act of 2011

Without a doubt, education is one of the most important areas in which public policy makers play a role. Education is one of the best tools we have to ensure  our children receive the best opportunities possible to live a happy, successful and prosperous life.  

While we have always had a good school system in Maryland (our state was recently rated as the #1 school system in the country for the 3rd year in a row!), we should never be complacent.

In district 6, we have seen test scores on the rise as we celebrate our national blue ribbon school at Eastern Technical and anxiously await the completion of the brand-new Dundalk High and Sollers Point Technical Schools.  Even with our improvements in test scores and physical facilities, we should never settle.

With that in mind, I was proud to introduce legislation this week that will create a system where parents within Baltimore County (and any other county or city in the state) would have an opportunity to allow their students to attend other schools within their home jurisdiction while retaining the concept of a “home school.”

The legislation, entitled “Public Schools—Enrollment and Transfer—Parental Decision” could just as easily be called the “Public School Choice Act of 2011.”

The bill would require each school jurisdiction (all of the state’s counties as well as Baltimore City) to develop a system under which parents and guardians would have the opportunity to enroll their children in any public school that has additional capacity.  After determining which schools have extra capacity, the school boards would allow parents and guardians to apply for enrollment in these schools, using a lottery method if more students apply than can be accommodated within a school’s available space.  

The legislation would only apply within a jurisdiction, meaning a resident of Baltimore County could only have the opportunity to enroll a student into another school within the county. Likewise, students from other counties and Baltimore City would not have the opportunity to attend our schools.

Starting to allow public schools to compete for students is good for students, families and education. Schools that lose enrollment will be forced to do things differently and improve the quality of their educational delivery—such as provide additional resources—but families will have a way to give their children alternative educational opportunities should they feel those changes are not occurring fast enough.  

This is legislation that will strengthen educational opportunities for children in the 6th district, Baltimore County and the entire state of Maryland.  

As an educator, legislator and citizen, I will always continue to fight to ensure we provide our children a world-class education.  Likewise, I always welcome your feedback and suggestions about ways that we can do just that—and your support to help make it happen.