Kalman Hettleman: Putting Gubernatorial Candidates to the Test

The future of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is in the hands of the next governor. According to recent internal polls, the candidate who has, by far, the strongest education credentials — John King, the former U.S. secretary of education under President Obama — is well behind several other better known and financed candidates in the crowded Democratic field. Otherwise, it’s hard to pick an education favorite. In forums, gubernatorial candidates are usually lobbed softball questions that are easy to knock out of the park, and the Democrats tend to trot around the bases in lockstep.