Upper Marlboro, MD, December 11, 2017 – Prince George’s County Branch NAACP will meet with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on Tuesday, December 12, 2017. Two weeks earlier, the Branch reached out to Governor Hogan asking to meet regarding the injustice to the students of Prince George’s County Public Schools. Writing that it is deeply concerned about the Prince George’s County Performance Audit of graduation grade changes, Branch President Ross wrote the Governor that, “the Branch and county now needs to see that our Governor cares about our children and our future. The audit was just the first step.”

Ross wrote that the Branch believes education is the Civil Rights issue of our time. Every single graduate who was issued a diploma without meeting the basic requirements and/or not demonstrating adequate attendance has had his or her Civil Rights violated. The level of duplicity exhibited within the school system leads the Branch to believe that a deeper investigation needs to occur and that more state involvement is necessary. The students impacted will suffer greatly for the rest of their lives because of the neglect and selfishness of our school system’s leadership. Prince George’s County cannot be left alone to handle this matter.

The meeting will focus on making sure the audit’s recommendations are implemented accurately and expediently. It will also focus on determining why any educators in the school system would consider that there would even be the necessity to pass children that are failing. Whether students are passed or failed, too many students are not prepared to effectively contribute to the economy. NAACP Education members, parents and community leaders will meet with the Governor at the local Branch office.

The Prince George’s NAACP recognizes that this meeting with the Governor is unprecedented. However, the Prince George’s County public school system handing out diplomas to students who haven’t made the grade and the systematic failure of our students in our public schools and beyond has necessitated the Governor’s involvement at the local level.”