Daily Journal, MCPS School Construction (Rock Creek Forest edition)

January 13, 2012

Yesterday I joined a great event organized by the PTA and MCPS called “Reading Rocks”. I got to read to a group of kindergartners, and I read Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Trying to explain my job to 5 year olds wasn’t exactly easy, so I settled on saying that I worked with the government as an elected official and asked if any of them had gone with their parents to vote. Not many raised their hands – parents take your kids to the polls! It’s habit forming from an early age, according to research.

In discussion with the PTA leaders I learned that the school is at the front of the line for reconstruction. We will see if the County Exec includes enough funding for it when we get the capital budget on Monday.

I was glad to see that the governor is proposing more funds for school construction this year than last year, arguing that the economic activity will generate jobs. The county should follow O’Malley’s lead and stretch our limits until the economy picks up.