Posted on 06/17/25
| News Source: FOX45
Annapolis, MD - June 17, 2025 - Ed Hale, in July, plans to officially file his candidacy to challenge Wes Moore in next year’s Democratic primary for Maryland Governor. As the Baltimore businessman prepares his campaign, he says his political platform will include improving public education.
Hale, in 1958, was in sixth grade in Baltimore County Public Schools. And one lesson he learned that year was so important, it’s framed on his wall.
“’I wish you would speak to Edwin concerning his behavior in class,’” read Hale from his sixth-grade report card. “‘His behavior has been not good.’”
“The response from my mother,” Hale continued. “‘I'm sure you will see a change in Eddie.’ Punishment came in big heaps. So, there was a turnaround right there.”
Hale, who owns the Baltimore Blast, an indoor soccer team, is now 78. When asked why he keeps his sixth-grade report card framed in his office, he replied, “I believe it's emblematic of you need some discipline.”
Hale, in May, initially announced his intentions to run for governor as a Democrat. In a recent interview with Project Baltimore, Hale stated his campaign will largely focus on public education – with an emphasis on four areas: discipline, the trades, accountability and the Blueprint for Maryland’s future.
“I don't think the schools are doing a good job for the students today,” remarked Hale.
In sixth grade, Hale says he was heavily reprimanded by his teacher and parents for his bad behavior in school. There were consequences. He says the discipline he received established a precedent that’s lasted his entire life. And today’s students, he says are not learning this lesson and it’s doing them a disservice.
“I believe that getting down to the fundamentals is very important,” explains Hale. “Discipline is lacking from what I'm hearing.”
What’s also lacking, Hale feels, is an emphasis on getting students involved in the trades – carpentry, plumbing, HVAC.
“I believe that the trades are ill represented,” said Hale. “So why not take the schools and let the schools get these people trained and have them get out with no debt and making a lot of money.”
Next on Hale’s agenda is accountability. The Baltimore businessman says school administrators must have the ability to fire low-performing teachers and reward good teachers. Currently, he feels there is too much red tape and regulations that keeps low-performing teachers in the classroom.
“If I had people working for me that were not doing a good job, they would not be working for me very long,” said Hale. “The administrators, I would believe, should be able to walk in and say, ‘you're really not a very good teacher. We're going to send you back to school or we're going to have you leave because you're just not a good teacher.’”
The final area of Hale’s focus will be the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s massive education overhaul that pumps billions of additional tax dollars into public education every year.
“I think it's implausible,” states Hale. “It's just a bad business deal that has been thrust upon people.”
The Blueprint passed in 2021, when Maryland’s legislature overrode a veto from then-Governor Larry Hogan. At the time, Hogan said the Blueprint was unaffordable. Hale largely blames the Blueprint’s spending mandates for Maryland’s recent tax increases and the state’s credit downgrade by the financial firm Moody’s.
“If you don't have any money, you don't have the money,” said Hale. “The state is in a deficit right now, and we're not going to be able to afford to do anything.”
Hale told Project Baltimore he feels the Blueprint needs to be adjusted more. The financial instability the Blueprint has already created in the state, according to Hale, will only get worse if the Blueprint’s spending levels are not addressed.
“You got to just go in there and see that you live according to your means. And we can't do it with that blueprint that's been set forth and voted on,” explained Hale. “And the people who say that's a good thing, how can it be a good thing if you can't afford it?”