I wouldn’t be where I am today without educators who believed in me. This week is American Education Week, so I’d like to take a moment to share my story of the power of public schools and discuss my vision for the future of Maryland education.

Did you know that I was the first U.S. Secretary of Education to get kicked out of high school? Let me tell you a bit more about my story and how educators helped me reach my full potential.

My mother passed away in October of my fourth-grade year when I was just 8. I then lived with my father, who struggled with undiagnosed Alzheimer’s, and when I was 12, my father passed away as well.

As a teenager, I was angry at life’s circumstances – like many kids who have experienced trauma at an early age. This anger caused me to act out, and I got in trouble so often that I eventually got kicked out of high school in my junior year.

But while many could have seen a young Black and Puerto Rican kid whose life was in crisis and wrote me off, phenomenal public school teachers, mentors, and a school counselor believed in me and gave me a second chance.

School genuinely saved my life. It was the very educators who changed the trajectory of my childhood who also inspired me to become a teacher myself. Because of them and the foundation they provided me, I served as the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education under President Obama.

Now, I am running for governor because as a lifelong educator, I know firsthand just how foundational education is to the long-term success of our economy and our democracy. Together, we can build a Maryland where all young people, no matter where they grew up or what resources their families have, can reach their full potential.

But to succeed in electing an educator as governor, I need enthusiastic grassroots support to win this race. So today I am respectfully asking for your endorsement.

The latest election results out of Virginia are a telling sign that Maryland must elect new Democratic leadership with the experience and authority to lead on education. I’m proud to be running with education at the forefront of this campaign, and as governor I will lead by listening and tackling the systemic injustices that have held back seats at the table of opportunity for too many Marylanders.

Will you add your name to endorse me, an educator for governor, so I can work tirelessly to improve Maryland’s education system and guarantee every student, especially those most underserved, has the opportunity to succeed?

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your endorsement,

John B. King