FREDERICK, MD - The 2013 session of the Maryland General Assembly kicks off in only a few weeks, and members of the Frederick County Board of Education want to make sure the Frederick County Delegation knows the issues most important to them.
"The delegation has a lot of power, and we need to educate them on what we need for our school system," says Jean smith, president of the Frederick County Board of Education.
The board of education says it needs money for school construction. They're requesting $32 from the state.
The board of made several other points to lawmakers. They include allowing local school boards to make decisions on curriculum and reducing the effect of shifting teacher's pensions to the counties.
A Virginia senator is proposing a bill requiring teachers to carry concealed weapons at school. Maryland Senator David Brinkley, who's chairman of the Frederick County Delegation, says he supports concealed weapons for both citizens and teachers here at maryland schools.
"Should it be directed to teachers only? No, but I do believe the population as a whole, yes. Would teachers fall under that umbrella? Absolutely," says Brinkley, (R) - Frederick County.
Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent Terry Alban is ready to listen to the ideas and suggestions of lawmakers about guns in county schools.
"I hope that our elected officials will begin to discuss that and we can have the debate because there are pros and cons to many of the suggestions being put forth," Alban says. "There are really no easy answers."
"The misconception is that we would end up in the Wild Wild West, and people would be shooting back and forth, but in jurisdictions where concealed carry is the law, that doesn't happen," Brinkley says. "In fact, there's a decrease in violence."
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) plans to introduce several bills in the upcoming session on weapons and school safety in hopes of making sure children can go to school with piece of mind.
