As Maryland’s First Black and Woman Speaker—and Member of the Kirwan Commission—Jones in Position to Deliver Important Progress on Educational Equity
Annapolis, Maryland—This afternoon, the House of Delegates unanimously elected Del. Adrienne Jones to serve as their next speaker. Maryland State Education Association President and Baltimore County teacher Cheryl Bost released the following statement:
“Maryland public school educators congratulate Speaker Jones on her historic election. As the first black and woman speaker of the House, her speakership breaks critical barriers and puts the House of Delegates in position to make important progress in the years ahead, especially on educational equity.
“Speaker Busch set a high bar for leadership and courage; we believe Speaker Jones has the ability to do the same. Maryland faces some extraordinary opportunities and difficult challenges in the near future, chief among them the responsibility to enact a bold school funding plan with equal parts urgency and fiscal pragmatism. Maryland educators stand ready to ensure that every student in every neighborhood has a great public school and an equal opportunity for success.”
A graduate of Baltimore County Public Schools, Speaker Jones has been a longtime champion for public education during her time in the House of Delegates. As a member of the Kirwan Commission, she co-led the effort to pass legislation this past legislative session to begin implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Maryland has seen significant increases in school construction funding under her leadership as chair of the Capital Budget Subcommittee, with funding reaching $500 million in the FY2020 budget.
She also voted for the Protect Our Schools Act in 2017, which strengthened accountability for schools, as well as the More Learning, Less Testing Act in 2017, which reduced time spent on standardized testing.
Speaker Jones has been endorsed in her runs for delegate six times by the Maryland State Education Association, starting in 1998.
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