Gov. Larry Hogan used a visit to a Baltimore charter school today to make good on his promise to veto an education reform bill passed by the General Assembly.  

Hundreds of students filed into the auditorium of the charter school, Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, to watch Governor Hogan wield the veto pen at a school assembly.

"We’re proud to stand with you by vetoing this legislation right now," said Hogan. "And then I’m going to personally hand carry it right back to the General Assembly this afternoon."

The bill, called the Protect Our Schools Act, passed both houses by veto-proof majorities and likely will be subject to override votes before the General Assembly session ends at midnight Monday.

It’s aimed at forbidding the state school board from using vouchers or charter schools to supplant struggling public schools. But Hogan said the bill would make schools less accountable.

"This bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from finally taking any substantial actions to make any improvements to failing schools. And it would make it much more difficult to identify schools that are falling behind."

Advocates and many members of the State Senate and House disagree with Hogan’s assessment.   The bill would use class sizes, curriculum, school climate and other measures in addition to test scores to address low-performing schools.