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Excellence in Education
First, Carroll County—Now, All of Maryland

As a former Member, then President, of the Carroll County Board of Education, Susan helped achieve high-quality schools with fewer dollars than other counties. Now, as our State Delegate, she is working toward that same fiscal and educational accountability statewide. This is critical at a time when Baltimore City has the highest per-pupil spending in the state, with 81 percent of its education dollars coming from taxpayers like us, who live outside the city. In contrast, our schools here in Carroll County put education dollars to their highest and best use. That’s why Susan has worked to bring home record amounts of state school construction and operating funds for our schools in Carroll County. Because of her work in Annapolis and at home, our children, parents and teachers have new classrooms and new opportunities to excel.
 

     Educational and fiscal accountability

• Worked with Governor Ehrlich to increase education funding by a record $1.4 billion without raising taxes—producing 36 percent more in state educational aid for Carroll County during Susan’s first term in office.

• Helped achieve adequate and equitable funding for all Maryland schools so they have the opportunity to achieve.

• Supported State Schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick’s decision to take over 11 failing Baltimore City schools because they failed to achieve, even though they spend $12,676 per pupil, compared with $9,477 per pupil in Carroll County.

• As former president of the Carroll County Board of Education, carried her successful initiatives to Annapolis for consideration statewide:

  • Smaller class sizes

  • An end to social promotion

  • Phonics and other scientifically-based reading principles in conformity with No Child Left Behind

	Quality teachers Voted to improve teacher pensions so Maryland can retain highly qualified teachers instead of losing them to states with better pensions. Sponsored legislation to provide Maryland teachers with the undergraduate and continuing education college classes they want so they can give students the reading instruction they need.
Teachers from the Carroll County Education Association visit Susan in Annapolis to discuss the need for improved pensions.

     School construction and responsible spending

• Supported Governor Ehrlich in the biggest commitment of school construction funding in more than 30 years, including money for new classrooms at Carrolltowne, Eldersburg, Linton Springs and Piney Ridge elementary schools; also funds for a nursing building and another classroom building, both at Carroll Community College.

• Consistently argued on the House Floor that school districts be given the freedom to award construction contracts to the low bidder, instead of being forced to pay union scale.

• Called upon the House of Delegates to cut a $33 million planned expansion of the House Office Building, urging that the money be spent instead on school construction.

• Helped win $150,000 toward construction of a new Progress Way campus for the independent Friendship School, which serves dyslexic children.

     Parents’ Interests

• Strongly supported our system of public education, but also supported individual parents’ rights to seek alternative educational opportunities for their children.

• Selected by State Schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick to serve on Maryland’s Parent Advisory Council because of Susan’s over-riding commitment to getting parents involved in their children’s schools.

• Joined with Maryland PTA in pushing for inclusion of at least two parents on the 12-member State Board of Education.

• As a Member of the Special Committee on Higher Education Affordability and Accessibility, worked to ensure that the average Maryland family has access to affordable higher education.
   

     Local Control

• Supported legislation that allows those closest to home—parents, teachers and the county school board—to make educational decisions that affect our children.
   

Educational Expertise As part of the “Legislators Back to School” initiative, taught elementary, middle and high school classes on state government to students throughout District 9B. As the parent of three children and a lifetime PTA member, led a citizens group that successfully lobbied for building Piney Ridge Elementary, Oklahoma Road Middle and Century High Schools. On the Carroll County Board of Education, pushed initiatives that led to the highest SAT scores in the district’s 25 years of record keeping. On the Board of Education, voted to increase starting salaries of new teachers so Carroll County could attract the very best. Educated the community—and now state leaders—on schools’ budgetary and construction needs. As member of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, emerged as one of the first graduates of the MABE Leadership Program and was invited to be a presenter at the National School Boards Association conference. Served on Maryland Association of Boards of Education legislative committees, at both local and state levels.

Student government leaders from each of Carroll County's high schools travel to Annapolis each year to meet with Susan and their own legislators.