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Thomas Perez on Education

 

 


Put himself through college with Pell grants & taking jobs

Tom embodies the values of hard work, integrity, service, and perseverance. He put himself through college at Brown University using pell grants and earning his tuition money in a number of jobs, including working on the back of a garbage truck. He received a B.A. in international relations and political science, and then went on to receive his Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard Law School and a Master of Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

Committed to fully funding our education system

In the 2021 legislative session, the General Assembly overrode Governor Hogan's veto and passed the Blueprint for Maryland's Future Act. However, significant hurdles remain, and Tom is committed to using this momentum to continue to create a stronger, more equitable education system by continuing to expand early childhood education, committing to fully fund our education system, ensuring our low-income school districts do not get left behind, and paying our educators what they deserve.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

Pay teachers equitable and professional salaries

Teacher recruitment and retention have become a major issue in Maryland. High turnover hurts students because it causes understaffing and a lack of experienced teachers, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Maryland public school teachers make comparatively less than public school teachers in neighboring states and certainly less than teachers in top-performing school systems. We must take care of our teachers by paying them equitable and professional salaries.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

Equal access to early childhood education

Access to early childhood education (ECE) and prekindergarten has a significant impact on the life trajectory of children. Maryland currently does not have universal pre-K, but it has been found that jurisdictions that have invested in early childhood education see positive impacts economic development and public safety. Tom believes that equal access to ECE throughout the entire state of Maryland is necessary and the benefits would reach beyond just those seen within the education system.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

Invest in school construction to address overcrowding

6 out of every 10 parents with children 18 or younger in Maryland believe crowded classrooms are a problem in their schools. Inadequate school infrastructure causes difficult learning conditions and poor performance. Funding for school construction in Maryland will alleviate the problem of overcrowding in schools, which will allow more students the opportunity to have a high-quality education.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

We must work to promote diversity among our educators

We must work to promote diversity among our educators. About 50% of Maryland public school students are Black or Latino, yet only 20% of our teachers are Black or Latino. One in every five schools in Maryland does not have a single Black teacher, and almost half don't have Latino teachers. Students of color who have a teacher of their same race tend to do better academically. Diversity in teachers can also help to foster a positive school climate for all students.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

Make community colleges, trade schools tuition-free

Tom supports making community colleges and trade schools tuition-free for all students, including Dreamers. Our state's network of two-year community colleges provides accessible, high-quality education for students of all ages. Community Colleges should be more seamlessly integrated into the state's training and education systems.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com , Jul 18, 2021

Focus on CTE: career technical education

Sec. Perez explained in the not-so-distant past, "We as a nation devalued, over a series of decades, career technical education, we called it 'shop'. Today's CTE is so different and we have an opportunity in Congress this year to reauthorize the Perkins Act, which is the opportunity to rethink, reimagine and reinvent career and technical education," said Perez.

With a new focus on career technical education, Perez said "opportunities abound." According to Perez, career technical education and apprenticeship combined are leading individuals to acquire IT skills "because those are the skills for tomorrow."

In reimagining CTE, Perez said the Labor Department is working with the Department of Education to bring forth the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act as the reauthorization of the job training program.

"We are helping people from cradle through career make sure that not only do they have the skills to compete for today, but they have the capacity to adjust to tomorrow," Perez said.

Source: New Pittsburgh Courier, "Returning technical education" , Mar 13, 2016

Other governors on Education: Thomas Perez on other issues:
MD Gubernatorial:
Alec Ross
Ashwani Jain
Ben Jealous
Doug Gansler
John B. King
John Delaney
Kelly M. Schulz
Larry Hogan
Martin O`Malley
Maya Cummings
Peter Franchot
Richard Madaleno
Robert Ehrlich
Robin Ficker
Rushern Baker
Shawn Quinn
MD Senatorial:
Arvin Vohra
Benjamin Cardin
Chelsea Manning
Chris Van Hollen
Donna Edwards
Kathy Szeliga
Margaret Flowers
Michael Steele
Richard Douglas
Sam Faddis
Tony Campbell
Gubernatorial Debates 2021:
CA Recall:
S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Former U.S.Rep Doug Ose(R)
vs.Laura Smith(R)
vs.Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner(R)
vs.Radio Host Larry Elder(R)
NJ: Incumbent Phil Murphy(D)
vs.State Rep. Jack Ciattarelli(R)
vs.Candidate Hirsh Singh(R)
vs.GOP Chair Doug Steinhardt(R)
VA: Incumbent Ralph Northam(D,term-limited)
vs.Former Governor Terry McAuliffe(D)
vs.CEO Glenn Youngkin(R)
vs.A.G. Mark Herring(D)
vs.State Sen. Amanda Chase(I)
vs.Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax(D)
vs.State Rep. Jennifer Carroll Foy(D)
vs.State Rep. Lee Carter(D)
vs.State Sen. Jennifer McClellan(D)
vs.State Rep. Kirk Cox(R)
vs.CEO Pete Snyder(R)

Gubernatorial Debates 2022:
AK: Incumbent Mike Dunleavy(R)
vs.Bill Walker(? D)
vs.Al Gross(? I)
AL: Incumbent Kay Ivey(R)
vs.Chris Countryman(D)
AR: Incumbent Asa Hutchinson(R,term-limited)
vs.Trump Adviser Sarah Huckabee Sanders(R)
vs.A.G. Leslie Rutledge(R)
vs.Ricky Dale Harrington(L)
vs.Anthony Bland(D)
AZ: Incumbent Doug Ducey(R,term-limited)
vs.Paul Gosar(? R)
Mayor Marco Lopez(D)
vs.Former news anchor Kari Lake(R)
vs.Secretary of State Katie Hobbs(D)
vs.State Treasurer Kimberly Yee(R)
vs.U.S.Rep.Matt Salmon(R)
vs.Steve Gaynor(R)
vs.State Rep.Aaron Lieberman(D)
CA: Incumbent Gavin Newsom(D)
vs.S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Antonio Villaraigosa(? D)
CO: Incumbent Jared Polis(D)
vs.Mayor Greg Lopez(R)
CT: Incumbent Ned Lamont(D)
vs.Bob Stefanowski(? R)
FL: Incumbent Ron DeSantis(R)
vs.Former Gov.Charlie Crist(D)
vs.Rep.Stephanie Murphy(? D)
vs.Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried(D)
GA: Incumbent Brian Kemp(R)
vs.Minority Leader Stacey Abrams(D)
vs.Senate candidate Shane Hazel(L)
vs.State Rep.Vernon Jones(R)
vs.2020 candidate Kandiss Taylor(R)
HI: Incumbent David Ige(D,term-limited)
vs.Marissa Kerns(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Josh Green(D)
IA: Incumbent Kim Reynolds(R)
vs.Deidre DeJear(D)
vs.State Rep.Ras Smith(D)
ID: Incumbent Brad Little(R)
vs.Raul Labrador(R)
vs.Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin(R)
vs.Ammon Bundy(R)
IL: Incumbent J.B. Pritzker(D)
vs.State Sen.Darren Bailey(R)
KS: Incumbent Laura Kelly(D)
vs.Jeff Colyer(R)
vs.State Sen.Derek Schmidt(R) 		Gubernatorial Debates 2022 (continued):
MA: Incumbent Charlie Baker(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Karyn Polito(R)
vs.State Rep. Geoff Diehl(R)
vs.Harvard Professor Danielle Allen(D)
vs.State Sen.Ben Downing(D)
vs.State Sen.Sonia Chang-Diaz(D)
MD: Incumbent Larry Hogan(R,term-limited)
vs.State Rep. Robin Ficker(R)
vs.State Rep. Peter Franchot(D)
vs.State Del.Kelly M. Schulz(R)
vs.Secretary John B. King(D)
vs.Obama administration Ashwani Jain(D)
vs.State attorney-general Doug Gansler(D)
vs.County executive Rushern Baker(D)
vs.Secretary Thomas Perez(D)
ME: Incumbent Janet Mills(D)
vs.Former Gov. Paul LePage(R)
MI: Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer(D)
vs.Chief James Craig(R)
vs.Police Chief Tudor Dixon(R)
MN: Incumbent Tim Walz(DFL)
vs.Mayor Mike Murphy(R)
vs.State Sen.Scott Jensen(R)
NE: Incumbent Pete Ricketts(R,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Senator Bob Krist(R)
vs.Chuck Herbster(R)
NH: Incumbent Chris Sununu(R)
vs.Dan Feltes(D)
vs.Kelly Ayotte(? R)
NM: Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham(D)
vs.Commissioner Jay Block(R)
vs.State Rep.Rebecca Dow(R)
NV: Incumbent Steve Sisolak(D)
vs.A.G.Adam Laxalt(R)
vs.U.S.Rep. Mark Amodei(? R)
vs.North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee(R)
NY: Incumbent Andrew Cuomo(D)
vs.Lt.Gov.Kathy Hochul(D)
vs.Rob Astorino(R)
vs.Andrew Giuliani(R)
vs.US.Rep.Lee Zeldin(R)
OH: Incumbent Mike DeWine(R)
vs.Former Rep.Jim Renacci(R)
vs.Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley(D)
vs.Mayor John Cranley(D)
OK: Incumbent Kevin Stitt(R)
vs.State Sen. Ervin Yen(R)
vs.Connie Johnson(D)
OR: Incumbent Kate Brown(D,term-limited)
vs.Gov. nominee Bud Pierce(R)
vs.Paul Romero(R)
vs.Casey Kulla(D)
vs.Kerry McQuisten(R)
PA: Incumbent Tom Wolf(D,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Rep. Lou Barletta(R)
vs.Commissioner Joe Gale(R)
vs.A.G.Josh Shapiro(D)
RI: Incumbent Gina Raimondo(D,to Cabinet)
vs.Gov. Dan McKee(D)
vs.Secy.Matt Brown(? D)
vs.Mayor Allan Fung(R)
vs.Luis-Daniel Munoz(D)
vs.RI Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea(D)
SC: Incumbent Henry McMaster(R)
vs.State Rep. James Emerson Smith(? D)
vs.US.Rep.Joe Cunningham(D)
vs.State senator Mia McLeod(D)
SD: Incumbent Kristi Noem(R)
vs.State Rep. Billie Sutton(? D)
TN: Incumbent Bill Lee(R)
vs.Senate nominee Marquita Bradshaw(? D)
vs.Carnita Atwater(D)
TX: Incumbent Greg Abbott(R)
vs.Chad Prather(R)
vs.State Sen.Don Huffines(R)
vs.U.S.Rep. Allen West(R)
vs.Deidre Gilbert(D)
VT: Incumbent Phil Scott(R)
(no prospective opponents yet)
WI: Incumbent Tony Evers(D)
vs.CEO Jonathan Wichmann(R)
WY: Incumbent Mark Gordon(R)
vs.Minority Leader Chris Rothfuss(? D)

Gubernatorial Debates 2023:
KY: Incumbent Andy Beshear(D)
vs.Former Gov. Matt Bevin(? R)

vs.Senator Rand Paul(? R)
vs.State Auditor Mark Harmon(R)
LA: Incumbent John Bel Edwards(D,term-limited)
vs.Biden Adviser Cedric Richmond(? D)
vs.Senator John Neely Kennedy(? R)
MS: Incumbent Tate Reeves(R)
vs.Bill Waller(R) 		Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
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Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
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Page last updated: Aug 28, 2021