Face it - the education numbers in this state are solid. O'Malley deserves credit on this, whether the right wingers want to admit it or not. I bet education will play a big role in this campaign and that one of the factors that will drive Ehrlich's inevitable loss will be the lack of enthusiasm for him among middle class soccer moms in Howard and Montgomery. They won't take a chance on Bobby Smooth as long as they think their kids are getting a good education under O'Gov.

Gee, What a surprise. A union backing OWEmalley.

Cut me a break! Any credit for MD education numbers should go to Nancy Grasmick, not to O'Malley. The first thing he tried to do as governor was to FIRE Grasmick for having the audacity to stand up to him and the rest of the Baltimore City bureaucrats over the abysmally performing city schools. Martin O'Malley is the quintessential politician-always ready to take the credit for the successes of others and never willing to take the blame for his own screw ups!

blasphemy....O'malley deserves no credit. Grasmick deserves it. And O'malley tried to fire her. Biggest load of crap ever...

Ah, Erlich going to lose, huh? Well, when those soccer moms hear their husbands bitching about taxes imposed and raised by the two O-men, I think their tune and votes will not go the way you project.

I agree that the credit in Maryland goes to Grasmick, but the union wasn't voting on who was the best ed administrator in the U.S.--they voted on best ed governor. I bet Chet Culver (former social studies/US history public high school teacher and current governor of Iowa) is crying about this. But they (Iowa) is usually in pretty good shape, consistently.

Weird political characterization of the soccer moms in Howard County especially. Most moms in the county probably work, #1. And #2, they're probably Republicans.

As for Montgomery county, maybe it's a bit more liberal...

Rick,
Who do you work for? Three guesses his initials are M O'M. I agree with Bob that Nancy Grasmick has kept Maryland focused on improvement in the area of education and that O'Malley wanted her out the door. O'Malley has no clue as to what goes on in education. Proof is his tenure in Baltimore City with terrible results. Ah, what short term memories we have. Maryland however is made up of many self sustaining counties/city which can work toward AYP which Grasmick has charged each school for improving each year. (AYP = annual yearly progress ) If O'Malley is such a great education governor, why is he creating such furvor in the state among teachers regarding evaluation based on 50% of standardized tests, either state or county based or do we know which? What no one has EVER discussed is that evaluation would have to be for EVERY one interacting with students who are paid as teachers are paid. These include librarians, resource teachers which include many special educators, guidance counselors, physical education teachers and other "specials" teachers who also work or teach these students and for which there are no benchmarks or MSA scores for which these teachers/librarians/counselors, etc can be evaluated with. Many of these teachers do not give students grades either. There is no equity here. Students are a product of their whole environment, i.e. their school and home. Rarely do you see a child who is falling in one subject and doing well in other subjects. I know, I check student scores EVERY time a student drops to a D or E and set up a conference. Again, O'Malley is as far away from understanding what goes on in the school and classroom as you can get.
MSEA union jumped the gun last fall and endorsed him for governor but is squirming now on the stands the governor has on this and many other issues. Maryland citizens should know that MSEA and other unions NEVER ask their teachers/members who they want their union to endorse - NEVER. We as teachers do not have a voice nor do we know when we vote for delegates what their political affiiation, view, or support is for. Oh yeah, have you guessed? I am a teacher. Ehrlich and many other politicians nationally have criticized teachers for failing grades and support this type of evaluation when they need to see that the child as whole is made up of many diverse factors at school and at home and community. The majority of teachers and students in the state are and have always done well. We should not judge schools based on the number of students who go on to college - not every child wants nor should go to college. A trade school or community college for specialized training, yes. If I see Maryland as a state with improving/good test scores, who would I give credit to? Let's start at the county or city first. Their board of education puts forth the charge to specialized offices and teachers who write curriculum. The systems and principals hire the good teachers. As many teachers retire, we have more and more good teachers who are hired (or for the present time in Maryland). Many systems are requiring whole schools to reapply for their jobs as Baltimore County has just done with several schools. O'Malley is just riding the coat tails on what is going on at the local level. Just as Obama is riding on the coat tails of the many states which make up our great country.

Well when "America's Greatest Uneducated Governor" goes to New Orleans for his Union award, he should stop to smell the oil. O'Malley remains silent about the cost to educate Illegals. Also, hopefully in his acceptance speech O'Malley will honor Glendening for passing Thornton the largest unfunded Governmental mandate in the States history. How is that number one priority.....JOBS JOBS JOBS...hahaha

Same guy who was ready week one to toss Nancy Grasmick??? Yea he's the best....keep telling yourself that. Hell the blind left in this state would follow any Dem into the volcano...Baltimore should be your shining star of how messed up the moraless / screw everyone left has accomplished...BeLIEve....