Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele visited Seven Locks Elementary School March 25, where he toured the school, addressed parents and teachers, and met with students.
Steele chairs Gov. Robert Ehrlich's Governor's Commission on Quality Education, created in September, 2004 to investigate and report on four areas: teacher accountability; school and community linkages; global best practices; and school readiness and early childhood programs. The report is due in September of this year.
Seven Locks Elementary has been in the spotlight for over a year due to community concerns that the school will be closed following the opening of a new elementary school on nearby Kendale Road in 2007. The school was identified by the County Council as a possible site for affordable housing, but school officials say that no plan to scrap Seven Locks exists and no recommendation on its future is likely soon.
For most Seven Locks parents, Steele's visit was an opportunity to show off a small, community school that they value.
Steele is among the highest ranking black Republicans in the country.