WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

regulation adopted by the Board may become effective unless also approved by the
State Board of Education.

The Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board would replace the
Professional Standards and Teacher Education Advisory Board established by the State
Board of Education to advise on matters relating to the certification of teachers,
administrators, and other professional school personnel.

I have been asked by the State Board of Education to veto Senate Bill 467 to prevent
the dilution of its responsibilities. I fully concur with their reasons.

This is an exciting time for education in Maryland. Following the General Assembly's
enactment of my Administration's APEX program, State funding for local public
education has increased significantly every year since 1987. In 1989, the General
Assembly approved my Administration's proposal to require the State Board of
Education to develop long-range plans to prepare students for the next century. In
1989, the Commission on School Performance that I appointed completed its report,
providing us with a road map for developing accountability systems to assure that all
children complete school with the education needed to become successful adults. Just
last month, Dr. Shilling presented to the State Board of Education a series of
imaginative and far-reaching proposals to address problems that persist in public
education. Education in Maryland is on the move. The State Board of Education must
maintain the momentum.

Turning to State Bill 467, there is no reason to believe that a Professional Standards
and Teacher Education Board would not establish acceptable certification standards.
The question, rather, is whether it is appropriate for any group of individuals, other
than the State Board of Education, to establish these or any other statewide education
policies.

I believe that the full authority to establish education policies and to implement these
policies must remain with the State Board of Education. Fragmenting this governance
responsibility will seriously weaken our drive for improving Maryland's public schools.

Experienced classroom professionals have a significant role to play in the process of
developing the State's elementary and secondary educational policies. I am confident
that the State Board of Education will continue to seek the advice of the Professional
Standards and Teacher Education Advisory Board on matters relating to teacher
preparation and certification.

For these reasons, I am vetoing Senate Bill 467.

Sincerely,

William Donald Schaefer

Governor

Senate Bill No. 467
AN ACT concerning

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