States State of the States

State of the States 2010: Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma

February 09, 2010 2 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

For complete coverage of this year’s governors’ speeches, check out State of the States 2010.

CONNECTICTUT

Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) | Feb. 3

Gov. Rell, delivering her final State of the State address, proposed a Keno gambling system to help the state shore up gaps in the $18.9 billion budget for the fiscal year that has started, but otherwise plans no changes to the budget from the previous year.

The governor, who is not seeking re-election, also proposed granting up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness to college students who stay and work in Connecticut for five years after graduating as a way to stop the state’s “brain drain.”

She named the opening of new charter and magnet schools as among her accomplishments as governor. —Dakarai I. Aarons

MARYLAND

Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) | Feb. 2

Members of the General Assembly applaud Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, as he enters the chamber to deliver his State of the State address in Annapolis.

Maryland’s governor made jobs creation the focus of his State of the State address, but also highlighted the role education can play in revitalizing the state’s economy. Gov. O’Malley said it is important for Maryland to “reinvigorate” science, technology, engineering, and math, or stem, education. Students must also receive a firm grounding in environmental and financial literacy, he said.

The governor, who is up for re-election this year, also made a plea for support for his “Skills2Compete” initiative, which is designed to bolster access to training and apprenticeship programs and to higher education. —Catherine Gewertz

MICHIGAN

Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm (D) | Feb. 3

Education received more than a few mentions in the eighth and final State of the State address for Gov. Granholm, who is term-limited and will leave office after this year. She asked the legislature to spare education from any further budget reductions and to restore the state’s Promise Scholarships, which were cut last year.

“I will also draw the line against additional education cuts in the year ahead,” she said.

“Is there a single family in Michigan that would choose to make ends meet in hard times by first sacrificing the needs of the children?”

The governor did not present any numbers last week, but said she would present her budget this week, as Michigan law requires. —Dakarai Aarons

OKLAHOMA

Gov. Brad Henry (D) | Feb. 1

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry points to his wife in the Oklahoma House chamber, the site of his annual address to a joint session of the Oklahoma legislature.

In his final State of the State address, Gov. Henry expressed pride in the progress made in education during his two terms as governor.

Despite a $1.3 billion state budget shortfall, the governor vowed to protect funding for education in the current budget year. In fact, teacher salaries actually increased this school year, and the state began covering the full cost of teachers’ health insurance, he told state lawmakers.

In addition, Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program was preserved in the current budget year, and the state has enacted full-day kindergarten as well as a voluntary pre-K program for its youngest learners.

Gov. Henry also recognized the Achieving Classroom Excellence initiative, designed to raise academic standards and accountability. The state has applied for a Race to the Top grant under the federal economic-stimulus program, which, if granted, may go toward implementing performance-based teacher pay or building a comprehensive data system, he said. —Katie Ash

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the February 10, 2010 edition of Education Week as State of the States

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Education: Empowering Educators to Tap into the Promise and Steer Clear of Peril
Explore the transformative potential of AI in education and learn how to harness its power to improve student outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
English Learners Webinar Family and Community Engagement: Best Practices for English Learners
Strengthening the bond between schools and families is key to the success of English learners. Learn how to enhance family engagement and support student achievement.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States Democrat Defeats a State Schools Chief Candidate Who Called for Public Executions
A candidate's past calls for Democrats' executions thrust one of this year's four state superintendent races into the national spotlight.
3 min read
N.C. State Superintendent democratic candidate Mo Green speaks during a debate with fellow candidate Michele Morrow at the Heart Institute at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., on Sept. 24, 2024.
Mo Green, the Democratic candidate for schools chief in North Carolina, speaks during a debate with GOP candidate Michele Morrow at the Heart Institute at East Carolina University in Greenville on Sept. 24. Green defeated Morrow.
Scott Davis/The Daily Reflector via AP
States The Number of States That Require Schools to Teach Cursive Is Growing
Here are the states that require schools to teach cursive handwriting.
1 min read
Photo of child practicing cursive writing.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
States 5 Ways You Didn't Know the Election Will Affect K-12 Schools
Voters will weigh ballot items that affect funding for electric school buses, tax revenue for state education budgets, and more.
8 min read
Pencil drawing a checkmark in a box. U.S.A. ballot measures voting in elections.
DigitalVision Vectors
States Oklahoma GOP Lawmakers Demand Investigation of Education Chief
They have concerns about Ryan Walters' stewardship of federal and state funds and his transparency on meetings and open-records requests.
4 min read
Ryan Walters speaks at a rally, Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City. Republican State Superintendent Walters ordered public schools Thursday, June 27, 2024, to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12, the latest effort by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.
Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks at a rally on Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City. Walters is now facing scrutiny from GOP lawmakers, who seek an investigation into his stewardship of education funding and his agency's transparency.
Sue Ogrocki/AP