Democrats running for governor court teachers' endorsement with big promises
One by one over the course of two days, the eight Democrats running for governor climbed a convention center stage here, courting one of the most coveted endorsements in Maryland: the support of the sprawling and powerful teachers union.
The candidates offered big promises to increase funding for public schools — sometimes by more than $2 billion per year.
They promised members of the state’s biggest teachers union to provide universal pre-kindergarten statewide, to raise teacher pay, to invest in school buildings, to better help students from high poverty areas, and to listen to teachers more than incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan does.
During the Maryland State Education Association’s fall convention this weekend, candidates recruited volunteers, hosted receptions and tried to persuade leaders of the 73,000-member union to bestow on them the union’s lucrative and influential endorsement.
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-democrats-court-teacher-endorsement-20171021-story.html