Executive Director's Letter
March 17, 2015

You have probably been following the news about the cuts in education funding and Baltimore City Public Schools’ CEO Dr. Gregory Thornton’s response to recently announced budget shortfalls. I hope you will join the Baltimore Arts Education Coalition to meet with Dr. Thornton next Wednesday, March 25 at the Baltimore Design School. In the meantime, The House Appropriations Committee is restoring $130 million of Governor Hogan's $143 million cut to the Aid to Education Budget which goes to local school systems in Maryland.

It is critical that you contact the Senate leadership and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and urge them to match what the House of Delegates has put in the budget for our schools.

As arts advocates we know that the arts are often the first program to go when education funding is cut making it even more important for us to work to restore the funds.

Please contact the following Senators by clicking on the link provided. Ask them to agree with the House level of funding for public PK-12 education.

Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., President of the Senate

Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer, Chair, Budget and Taxation Committee

Senator Richard S. Madaleno, Jr., Vice-Chair, Budget and Taxation Committee

Education, Business and Administration Subcommittee of Budget and Taxation Committee:

Senator Nancy J. King, Chair

Senator Ulysses Currie

Senator Bill Ferguson

Senator Andrew A. Serafini

All the best,

Jeannie

P.S. My membership tour continued last week with Fluid Movement’s delightful roller fairy tale, That’s BaltAmore. Go and see how much fun sixty people on roller skates can have!