EDUCATION
Full funding of the Thornton plan requires consideration of the Geographic Cost of Education Index.
Maryland must allocate more money for school districts in which the cost of education is higher.
The Thornton Plan, approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 2002, was a landmark in public school financing. It established a modern, standards-based education finance system that has sparked substantial state-wide improvement in Maryland’s schools.
I support full funding of the Thornton Plan, including the Geographic Cost of Education Index (the GCEI), which adjusts state education assistance to reflect regional differences in the cost of providing educational services. The GCEI adjustment mechanism takes into account teacher salaries, the cost of supplies, and other operating budget differences in each jurisdiction, and it results in more state aid for education in Montgomery County.
The GCEI is an integral part of full funding for the Thornton Plan and should be included in state-financed school funding determinations.
Comprehensive sexuality education will help keep our children healthy.
Lifelong responsible decision-making includes both abstinence and birth control. Educational programs that encourage abstinence without also teaching family planning, prevention of infection, and responsible decision-making skills are dangerous and do not prevent pregnancy or disease.
Sex education does not increase sexual activity. Students in all grades need age-appropriate instruction about how to protect themselves, from both pregnancy and infection, based on the latest science and advice from medical and scientific communities. Information that is wrong, too little, or too late can have long-term and life-threatening consequences. We need to teach the facts about sex so our children can make safe and healthy choices.