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September 24, 2023

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Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

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Archives Education Ed Homepage Education Ed Portal Lead Spy Top Story

Mid-Shore Education: Facing the Challenge of Maryland’s Blueprint with QAC Superintendent Patricia Saelens

September 20, 2023 by Dave Wheelan 1 Comment

As part of our ongoing conversations about public education on the Mid-Shore, we sat down with Queen Anne’s County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patricia Saelens, last month for an update of that county’s challenges and opportunities as one of the most robust public school systems in the state of Maryland.

One example of this distinction was the news this week that U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized Church Hill Elementary School and Matapeake Elementary School as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023. Those two schools beat out more than 9,000 schools nationwide to make that list. 

That kind of recognition is common for QAC schools. Year after year, the school district continues outperforming other schools on both the Eastern and Western Shore. 

And yet, as Dr. Saelens notes in our Spy interview, it’s not always peachy even in QAC. After taking the job in the middle of the COVID crisis, which Saelens considers the most challenging years of her professional life, she and her peers are still having to find their way in negotiating the unanticipated challenges that have come with the implication of the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. In our chat, the superintendent highlights the positives and negatives of the multi-billion dollar effort to improve public education, including the funding formula and its impact on county budgeting.

 

This video is approximately ten minutes in length.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Archives, Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, Spy Top Story

Kent Island High School’s Andrea Schulte Named Finalist for Teacher of the Year

September 12, 2023 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Dr. Saelens, Dr. Sprankle, and Mr. Bell surprised Mrs. Schulte at KIHS with the great news! Pictured left to right – Dr. Rankin, Mr. Harding, Mrs. Schulte, Dr. Saelens, Mr. Bell, and Dr. Sprankle.

Today, the Maryland State Board of Education and Maryland State Department of Education announced the names of the seven finalists who will compete to be named the 2023-2024 Maryland Teacher of the Year. The finalists were selected by a panel of judges from key Maryland education organizations representing principals, teachers, school boards, teacher unions, parents, and higher education.

Mrs. Andrea Schulte, Visual Arts teacher at Kent Island High School, was named as a Maryland State Teacher of the Year Finalist! The 2023-2024 Maryland Teacher of the Year will be announced during a gala reception and dinner at Martin’s West in Baltimore on October 13, 2023. The winner will receive cash awards, national traveling opportunities, and participate in several national meetings and conferences. The press release from MSDE can be found here.

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

County Leaders Renew Push for Oversight on Education Spending

September 9, 2023 by Maryland Matters

Cheryl Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association.

A number of county leaders around the state say requirements to increase spending on education need to be coupled with greater authority for them to oversee that spending.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D), a former math teacher, said his relationship with his school system is sometimes frustrating and often relegates his role to being an ATM.

He and other county leaders are renewing a call for a larger role in overseeing how education dollars are spent.

“We do not have a truly cooperative, interactive relationship, at this point, but nobody does,” Elrich said. “Montgomery County is not unique. You’ll find these kinds of arguments all around the state between county governments and the local school boards. We’re like a money machine but we have no power in how the money gets tapped at some point.”

Education spending represents a large portion of county budgets. Montgomery County sends a total of $3 billion to its school system. In many counties, spending on education, including state aid, represents nearly half of the annual budget.

Implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a 10-year, multi-billion-dollar education reform plan, will require even more money from local governments.

“The county has no authority,” he said. “We can’t even, for example, look at a budget line item and say we don’t think you should do that program. We’re not going to fund that program and we want you to fund a different program. County has no ability to do that. We’re restricted to giving the school system the same amount of money that it had last year, adjusted for population growth and inflation. That’s our whopping authority over there.”

The question of whether county governments should have greater control over their school districts has been an ongoing conversation for the so-called Big 8 jurisdictions and the Maryland Association of Counties over several months, according to Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman (D).

“I think it’s mostly focused on transparency in budgeting,” he said. “Most of us feel like we don’t have a good sense of what their finances really look like and maybe there’s a more collaborative approach.”

Pittman said each county is different, based on the willingness of county government leaders, school board members and education leaders to work together. Pittman praised Anne Arundel’s relatively new school superintendent, Mark Bedell, who took over in July of 2022, for being especially “collaborative.”

In Prince George’s, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) said residents want to know that the tax dollars are spent effectively. When the schools account for 62% of county government spending, officials can’t help but strive for transparency, she said.

Alsobrooks conceded she didn’t have a sense of what Elrich was seeking, specifically.

“But I agree with him that we ought to be accountable for how those dollars are used,” she said.

Like Pittman, she said collaboration is the key. Alsobrooks had a good working relationship with the former public schools CEO, Monica Goldson, who left the school system at the end of June.

“I was pleased to have someone like Dr. Goldson, who was really the subject matter expert, who made those decisions,” Alsobrooks said. “The government is responsible for funding those operations. I think we should hire the very best CEO, someone who’s trained in education, who can work together with the school board to make policy decisions.”

But collaboration frequently relies on the personalities involved and is not always possible.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. (D) praised the current relationship between his administration and Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Miriam Yarbrough.

“It’s a very collaborative and open approach,” said Olszewski. “What I can say is that I know that’s not the case across the state. It certainly hasn’t always been the case in Baltimore County. And so, to the extent we can institutionalize some of these practices, I think you avoid relying on personalities.”

Local government gripes about a lack of authority is not new. And even though some local officials have the ability to appoint some members of their school board or even appoint a school superintendent, school systems remain independent and nearly immune to political pressure from other officials.

Cutting into that independence would require help from the General Assembly.

Senate Majority Leader Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery), who chairs two Budget and Taxation subcommittees that deal with education issues, said there is no need to change the current system.

“I would be absolutely, 1000% against that,” King said, adding that Elrich and others lack the experience to make decisions for the school system.

“He needs to do his job and let the school board do their job,” she said.

King, a former school board member, said complaints about lack of oversight amount to “a nice political thing to say.”

“All these people, they want to re-do the budget. They want to re-do how school systems run, it’s like they don’t have enough of their own jobs to do,” she said.

Tensions, however, remain. A program at last month’s Maryland Association of Counties conference in Ocean City that was to focus on potentially tight budgets ahead was almost entirely focused on increased funding requirements for Blueprint education reforms.

“Since I’ve been county executive, we’ve had two years with the largest single-year increases in county history,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball (D). “That’s just driven by the Blueprint. We’re just making those investments. I think in making those investments, we need some transparency and accountability.”

In Howard County, the roughly $1 billion in school funding accounts for nearly 51% of the county’s annual spending.

“I think that there is an important conversation to be had about a county executive and a council or commissioner-based system who have so much funding responsibility and zero ability to actually ensure where those dollars go and that they’re used effectively,” said Ball.

Cheryl Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association, which represents about 75,000 teachers across the state, said a “broader conversation” that includes checks and balances is needed.

“If I’m a county executive and I’m doing a project, but yet I have an independent board of education that’s supposed to be the experts on education, I don’t want to usurp that power,” she said. “There should be more communication and collaboration to where that money goes to support the Blueprint.”

But Bost said there are limits.

“I think there’s a fine line between too much power at the county executive commission level and not enough autonomy of an educational board,” she said. “But also with the Blueprint coming up [and] demanding so much more local funding, that there has to be some more collaboration.”

Maryland Matters reporters William Ford and Josh Kurtz contributed to this report.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: News Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, News Portal Highlights

First Faculty Unions Form at Two Maryland Community Colleges

September 4, 2023 by Maryland Matters

Two new public employee unions had extra cause to celebrate this Labor Day weekend.

New faculty unions at Howard Community College and Frederick Community College were certified and recognized last week under a state law governing unionization on community college campuses.

Howard and Frederick are the first community college faculties in Maryland to organize after the General Assembly passed a collective bargaining bill in 2021, over the veto of former Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

On Wednesday, the full-time faculty at the campuses were recognized as members of AFT-Maryland by the state Public Employee Relations Board.

The unions were formed under a new “card check” law, through which unions are recognized if more than 50% of bargaining unit members sign authorization cards saying they’d like to join.

After months of organizing, more than 80% of the 170 faculty members at Howard Community College and 100 faculty members at Frederick submitted cards to the board on Aug. 21.

The American Federation of Teachers Maryland now represents about 18,000 employees across the state.

The community colleges are among 54 new units organized this year by the AFT, the nation’s largest higher education union. Its total membership is now at a record high of 1.72 million, union leaders said.

“Higher ed faculty want unions — and the more workers who are organized, the more students see that respect and voice leads to greater opportunity, that’s the way more families have access to the middle class,” AFT’s national president, Randi Weingarten, said. “That’s why it is such a hot labor summer.”

Union members at the Frederick and Howard campuses said they undertook the organizing effort to address ever-increasing workloads, inadequate compensation and other issues they hope to deal with as a collective voice.

“I’m for unionizing because faculty know what’s best for our students, our schools and higher education, and a union and a contract will finally give us our say. Administrators tell us how to do our jobs without knowing their way around a classroom. But when it comes to our students and their learning, I trust my colleagues. I trust faculty,” Howard Community College English instructor Tim Bruno said in a statement.

The college issued a statement last week after the union’s certification and recognition.

“As HCC and AFT embark on this new chapter of cooperation, both parties look forward to working closely together. The shared goal is to cultivate an environment that promotes excellence, innovation, and the continued advancement of education,” a press release stated.

In Frederick, the unionization effort comes after allegations of bullying and harassment by former President Elizabeth Burmaster, who left the college in 2021 following protests and a no-confidence vote.

“The history of the institution shows that no existing organization, including FCC’s board of trustees and various state and regional accreditation organizations, will protect faculty and other employees from abusive administrators. The solidarity and power we are creating with our union will ensure our protection,” Greg Coldren, a member of the school’s math faculty, said in a statement.

Ray Baker, a spokesperson for AFT-Maryland, said the new unions will help faculty members elevate their concerns collectively — and improve outcomes for students on their campuses.

“Unions do not necessarily have to be adversarial. In the best situations, unions and campus leadership work hand-in-hand because they have shared goals and shared values,” Baker said.

Nationally, Baker said he thinks labor unions are growing because “workers are looking around and saying ‘This is a little tougher than it used to be. This is a little harder than it used to be. I know we’re not getting the benefits that this work once delivered.’”

“So the way that you remedy that, the way that workers can find some power for themselves again, is through a union,” Baker said. “And that’s why we’re seeing this increased interest.”

Before passage of the 2021 collective bargaining law, some employee groups were already organized at the Community College of Baltimore County, Montgomery College, and Prince George’s Community College.

There are additional faculty organizing efforts by AFT-Maryland underway now at the Community College of Baltimore County and Prince George’s Community College.

“Hopefully very soon we will be adding them to our labor family as well,” Baker said.

And at Anne Arundel Community College, the push for a unionization vote is underway.

In May, Service Employees International Union Local 500 filed a representation election petition with the state, seeking to become the exclusive representative of part-time faculty there.

The new labor actions have gone forward under the purview of the Public Employee Relations Board, a new panel that was created by The Public Employee Relations Act passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. The new board replaces and consolidates three former panels: the State Labor Relations Board, the State Higher Education Labor Relations Board, and the Public School Labor Relations Board.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) named the first members of the new Public Employee Relations Board in August. The members are subject to confirmation by the Maryland Senate.

By Danielle E. Gaines

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

Washington College Appoints Kiho Kim as Provost and Dean of the College

August 28, 2023 by Washington College News Service

Kiho Kim

Following a national search, Washington College has named Kiho Kim, Ph.D., as the institution’s provost and dean of the college. Kim will succeed Interim Provost Michael Harvey, a professor of business at Washington.

Kim earned his bachelor’s in biology and environmental science from Brock University in Canada. He completed his master’s from Florida International University followed by his Ph.D. at the University of Buffalo, both in biology and finished his post-doctoral research at Cornell University.  

Kim joins the community after an accomplished career with American University. In addition to achieving the rank of professor of environmental science, he has held a number of administrative appointments at American, including serving as the inaugural chair of the AU Scholars Program, and as executive director of the Center for Teaching, Research & Learning.  

Kim played a central role making sustainability a cornerstone of American University. He spurred growth in sustainability research and collaboration, including by leading the creation of a new Department of Environmental Science, played an instrumental role in establishing the American University Center for Environment, Community, and Equity, and was the co-principal investigator supporting the largest external grant in AU’s history to study wasted food. Kim also helped strengthen the scholar-teacher ideal by transforming AU’s Center for Teaching, Research & Learning into an innovative and inclusive faculty development center and critical hub for diversity, equity & inclusion. 

“We had a an incredibly strong pool of applicants in this search and Kiho rose to the top among outstanding academic leaders,” said Washington College President Mike Sosulski. “His passion for innovative teaching and research, and the leadership experience he brings are impressive, as is his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is a very collaborative leader and I look forward to partnering with him to strengthen the Washington College liberal arts experience for today’s students.” 

“I am deeply grateful and excited for the opportunity to be part of Washington College, an institution with an inspiring and rich history and a thriving and vibrant community of students, staff, and faculty. I look forward to working with everyone to ensure that Washington College continues to fulfill its mission to challenge and inspire emerging citizen leaders to discover lives of purpose and passion, and to further strengthen Washington College’s reputation as an outstanding liberal arts institution.”  

Kim will begin his role at the College this summer.  

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Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

Maryland Schools Show Improvements but Achievement Gaps Remain

August 23, 2023 by Maryland Matters

Maryland’s latest standardized testing results show major improvements in English and slight increases in math proficiency within the state’s public schools, but there remain achievement gaps between white students and those of Black and Latino descent.

The state Department of Education released test results Tuesday from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), which students took during the 2022-23 school year.

The data are from tests taken by students in grades three through eight in math, English language arts and science. Schools administered the science tests from March 6 to March 24 and math and language arts tests from April 3 to May 26.

Student test scores improved in English language arts and math compared to scores on tests students took in spring 2022, which was the first full statewide assessment since students returned to in-person instruction after many spent much time in virtual schooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The math results don’t exceed test scores from the 2018-19 school year, or pre-pandemic. A shortened version of the test was administered two years ago to assess how students fared during online instruction.

The MCAP is among factors that determine the state’s annual report card and school star rating system. New reports were last issued in March, the first time the state issued the annual report card since 2019 because of the pandemic.

While high-level analyses were shared with the State Board of Education on Tuesday, school-level results will be released on the Maryland Report Card site in late September.

Besides assessing MCAP results from math and language arts, state officials also broke down data on students in fifth and eighth grade who took science tests and on students in 10th grade English and students enrolled in Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry.

State Boardmember Joan Mele-McCarthy said she had hoped that more students who are English learners and students with disabilities would score proficient in English language arts.

Almost 12% of students with disabilities scored as proficient in English language arts, versus 11% last year. But there was a slight decline in English learners who scored proficient, down from 13% last year to about 12%.

“All this money we are pumping into general [education]…We need to be thinking about these groups of learners and look at the kids who are economically disadvantaged,” Mele-McCarthy said. “I look at these stats all the time and I am not celebrating. I am not admonishing anyone. I’m just being passionate here.”

Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury said planned funding from the state’s Blueprint from Maryland’s Future should help all students. Also, the percentage of students with disabilities and English learners who scored proficient was higher than in the 2018-19 school year when 8% of each group scored proficient in language arts.

“I would not say that there has not been any progress. I would challenge that premise. We have made a lot of gains,” he said. “At the end of the day, we need to up our game.”

Here’s a summary of data comparisons from some test results this year and MCAP data the state released last year.

English language arts

Overall, nearly 47% of all students in third to eighth grades scored on a proficient level in 2023, an improvement over 2022 when about 44% scored proficient.

A graph from Maryland State Department of Education showing percentage of students proficient in English language arts. Screenshot.

In terms of race, 34% of Black students scored proficient versus 31% last year. Among students the state designated as Latino/Hispanic 31% scored proficient compared with 29% last school year.

The achievement gaps for Black and Latino students are still significant, compared with 63% of white and nearly 75% of Asian students scoring proficient. Last year, about 59% of white students and 73% of Asian students scored proficient.

Among third to eighth grade students from the state’s 24 school systems who took the test this year, Worcester County schools recorded the highest percentage, at 68%, who were proficient in English language arts. For Worcester, that was a 4 percentage point increase from last year.

Although Baltimore schools recorded a nearly 5 percentage point increase from last year, the city still recorded the lowest percentage in the state at 25%.

One of the biggest increases came in the number of students statewide who took and were tested on the high school course labeled “English 10.” This year, about 73,422 students took the test and 53.5% scored proficient. That is about the same percentage who scored proficient last year when 68,823 students took the test.

“What we’re doing in literacy is working. We just need to master it,” Choudhury said.

Math

In math, nearly 25% of third-to-eighth-grade students scored proficient in 2023. It represents an almost 3 percentage point increase from test scores in the spring 2022.

A graph from Maryland State Department of Education showing percentage of students proficient in math. Screenshot.

In terms of race, 12% of Black and Latino students recorded a proficient level in math, about two percentage points higher than last year.

About 40% of white students were proficient in math, nearly three percentage points higher than last year. Math proficiency also increased three percentage points among Asian students rising from 53% to 56%.

Baltimore recorded, at 9%, the lowest percentage of students in grades three through eight who were proficient in math, but it was an improvement for the city of two percentage points from last year.

Worcester County students recorded the highest percentage of students who scored proficient, at 47%, a 10 percentage increase from last year.

Of about 74,400 students who took Algebra 1 and were tested this year, 17% scored proficient. Last year, of 76,608 students, 14% scored proficient.

Board Vice President Joshua Michael, a former math teacher, praised the slight improvements in math. However, he called the results “sobering.”

Although math proficiency percentages remain below pre-pandemic levels, Choudhury said there remains hope.

“Is it working in each individual school? No. It is in the aggregate,” he said. “This is not mission accomplished. We have work to do.”

By William J. Ford

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: News Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, News Portal Highlights

Governor Moore Visits Benedictine Campus In Ridgely

August 18, 2023 by Spy Desk

Governor Moore interacts with student at Benedictine

Governor Wes Moore toured the Benedictine campus in Ridgely on Thursday on his way to the 2023 Maryland Association of Counties summer conference. The tour was conducted by Benedictine Executive Director Scott Evans and Education Director Julie Hickey. Joined by Maryland Department of Disabilities Secretary Carol Beatty, the tour also included members of the Benedictine leadership team, board members, Benedictine’s students, adults, family members and staff. Congressman Andy Harris’ office Community Liaison Mike Arntz; Delegate Jeff Ghrist; Senator Johnny Mautz; and Ridgely Town Commissioner Anthony Casey also joined the group.

The Governor’s tour included an opportunity to sit in on a class on the student’s first day back to school. He also visited a residential suite where Evans and Hickey explained the need to upgrade the facilities to meet the changing demographic of students who have moderate to severe autistic and behavioral challenges.

The Benedictine campus also has vocational training spaces and recreational facilities which are utilized by both students and supported adults. The Governor met supported adults who talked about their work experiences in the community and vocational activities they participate in on campus.

“All of us at Benedictine want to thank the Governor and his staff for touring Benedictine. What a great opportunity to show what we do here at Benedictine in supporting those living with developmental disabilities and autism. The Governor’s engagement with our students and supported adults was truly inspirational to witness,” commented Benedictine Executive Director Scott Evans.

The original school and residential suites were built in the early 1960’s and the Transforming a Campus to Transform Lives master plan has been developed to address obsolescence, safety, and health issues of the current and future student population that attend school and reside on campus. The first phase of the project is to renovate and construct new residential suites for the school-age population, a new nursing and kitchen facility, and new traffic access improvements.

For more information about Benedictine and how you can support this organization, ple

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Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

Mid-Shore Education: Learning Leadership at the Summer S.T.E.M. Camp

August 15, 2023 by Dave Wheelan

For several years now, the Spy has worked with Summer S.T.E.M camp volunteer coordinator Bob DeGour to profile some of the outstanding local high school students who lead this unique summer program. While the mission of the STEM camp itself is reason to put the spotlight on this innovative program, which encourages local elementary school students to spend part of their summer break to learn more about science and math, this project has always had an equally impressive impact on the rising juniors and seniors to run every aspect of the camp’s program.

From curriculum development to fundraising, these high school students are given full control over of the summer camp. While DeGour helps by offering advice to these young leaders, it was always Bob’s intention to give maximum autonomy to his leadership team to encourage self-reliance, creativity and ultimately the confidence needed to not only enrich the lives of the participants but adopt life lessons for the future.

And after five summer terms, those young leaders have taken that experience and applied to their own personal goals. Several have them have gone on to be admitted to the Naval Academy or been accepted at some of the most competitive undergraduate colleges and universities in the country.

This year, the Spy sat down with Nathan Henckel and Ariyonna Dodd to talk briefly about the 2023 camp year and its impact on both their younger students and their own personal development.

The STEM Camp is co-sponsored by the YMCA of the Chesapeake and Talbot County Public Schools.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. To learn more about the Naval Academy Summer S.T.E.M camp program please visit their Facebook page here.

 

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

Mid-Shore Education: Empowering Parents in Dorchester

August 7, 2023 by P. Ryan Anthony

The nonprofit organization Moving Dorchester Forward, based in Cambridge, started as a group of local leaders concerned about the holes in the resources and services available to the community. They chose to concentrate on three areas: early learning, workforce development, and community engagement. The task of getting area citizens involved in what MDF was doing began with Community Engagement Coordinator Shay Lewis-Sisco and her team holding events to create awareness of MDF.

While they were out there, the team asked people what the community was missing and how MDF could connect them to vital resources. It quickly became clear that money, activities, personnel, and action planning (among other things) were sorely needed, so MDF decided to be the conduit to those services. One of the questions the organization asked themselves was, “What are the capacity-building skills for parents?”

Fortunately, they learned about the Parent Encouragement Program from Kevin Beverly, Moving Dorchester Forward’s board president. Beverly, who lives and works in Montgomery County, knew of the PEP group that has been active there for twenty years, meeting with parents and caregivers of children ages 3-18 and then teaching them skills in cohort-based environments.

“A lot of them are parents sitting there going, ‘How do you talk to a teenager, and how do you get them on regular routines’ and all that fun stuff,” explained MDF director Chris Wheedleton. “Particularly for folks that are working two jobs and maybe single-parent homes and all these extra challenges for them from a parent standpoint.”

PEP wanted to work in another community besides Montgomery County, so they came to Dorchester with a grant and the Family Resiliency Program, which helps families learn how to communicate with their children and generally balance the things in their lives.

MDF decided to conduct two pilot programs. Though PEP’s model typically relies on virtual classes, Wheedleton and his team chose to begin theirs in person. The first session of the initial cohort was held on February 7 at Delmarva Community Services Intergenerational Center, with Lewis-Sisco and another community engagement staff member as facilitators.

“We wanted to do it in person simply because it’s about building relationships, and it’s hard to build relationships when you’re doing that in a virtual environment,” said MDF Coordinator Nancy Shockley, who oversees PEP. “We were willing to do the structure and set up whatever we needed to do in terms of the food, in terms of the daycare and facilitation and stuff like that.”

Parents were able to take their children to the in-person session, where the kids were placed in groups by age to work with the community engagement staff while the parents focused fully on their own group. But, there were also challenges with everyone meeting in one place: the time of day they all could gather, activities parents needed to accomplish at home or elsewhere, and the difficulties of transportation.

So, MDF gave the attendees the option of having the sessions online, and the next time they met it was on Zoom, which turned out to work well. The second cohort ran from April to June and was fully virtual. It was offered in two groups of sessions, on Thursdays and Sundays. Any parents who wanted to participate but didn’t have the necessary equipment were provided with it by MDF.

The topics for the eight weeks of sessions, outlined by PEP, were very relatable and included helping a child manage change, raising more motivated and cooperative kids, knowing when to set limits, and responding to a child’s strong emotions. The facilitator would show an instructional video that presented simple tools parents could implement within their families. This would be followed by some specific questions, and the group members would hold a discussion about such things as how their own parents responded to them during difficult incidents of their childhood. There were talks about the three parenting styles–permissive, democratic, and authoritarian–and why the democratic style was the preferred one.

Then there were the discussions of mental health, which children need support with no matter their age or stage of development. Because of generational differences among the parents, there were some for whom the normalizing of mental health was a challenge.

“I will say that, in one session, I felt that culturally, specifically around mental health, there was some tension at times,” said Lewis-Sisco. But, it was her job to set the tone of the conversation, and she made sure everyone knew each session was a safe, confidential environment for difficult dialogues. “As a facilitator, you have to be intentional to make sure that, no matter what the culture is or race that’s present, they have the space to be able to share their experience. And I often say, in facilitated conversations we need to attack the problem, not the person.”

As the group members talked and realized that everyone was being open and transparent, they were willing to continue the engagements and connect on a whole new level. The parents found themselves looking forward to the sessions as their own form of mental health support. While the facilitator would play videos and ask the hard questions, it was up to the parents to provide each other with encouragement. Some of them even learned to be leaders themselves.

“And then from there, we’ve actually been able, through the first cohorts, to identify additional facilitators,” said Shockley, “because the whole idea of using that PEP model is that parents who go through the program can potentially become facilitators of the ongoing groups, which is really just building the capacity and giving parents sort of that peer sort of network opportunity of working together.”

When the cohorts were finished, MDF brought the parents together for a family fun night event at Cabin Fever in Downtown Cambridge. They were able to meet with author Joy Thomas Moore, mother of Maryland’s governor, for some family engagement activities and discussions.

“Both groups that went through said, ‘What’s next? We’d like to keep going,'” said Wheedleton. “And we just met with PEP recently and they said, ‘We’ve got additional funding to actually do eight more cohorts next year.'”

He and Shockley are now planning that with Lewis-Sisco, who will take the lead on the structure of the ongoing Family Resiliency cohorts to commence in the fall. At the same time, they are able to offer the parents other programming focused on such subjects as mental health, first aid, and finances.

“So many of these families are working two jobs and are struggling to make ends meet,” said Shockley. “And that makes parenting even more difficult because of the ongoing stresses of trying to pay the bills and meet all of those things. So, we’ve actually had a number of those parents sign up to participate in some of our other work around generational poverty and how to kind of take the next step and move on.”

For more information on PEP’s Family Resiliency Program or to sign up for the next sessions, contact Shay Lewis-Sisco at [email protected] or 443-440-5370.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

Blueprint Board Approves Updates to Statewide Reform Plan

August 2, 2023 by Maryland Matters

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board has approved updates to the statewide comprehensive education reform plan, on schedule with a law that calls for the massive plan to be revised each year by Aug. 1.

Some changes the board made Tuesday were discussed July 20, such as requiring local health and social service agencies to share with local school systems the names and contact information of families with children who could be eligible to enroll in free prekindergarten.

This and other revisions — which were recommended by staff of the state Department of Education and other state agencies, as well as by local school leaders, parents and other stakeholders — focus on most of the Blueprint’s priorities: expanding early childhood education, hiring and retaining high-quality and diverse teachers, preparing students for college and technical careers and providing additional resources for students in need.

The other priority is governance and accountability for the Blueprint board, also known as the AIB, that was established by lawmakers to oversee the education reform plan until 2032. The board decided that, together with the Department of Education, they will develop a framework to identify areas of technical assistance that need to be provided to school systems and what agencies should provide it.

“I just feel like this process has worked extremely well and that we’ve been very open and accommodated the input that has come from a variety of different quarters,” said Blueprint Board Vice Chair William “Brit” Kirwan, chancellor emeritus of the University System of Maryland.

Blueprint Board Chair Isiah “Ike” Leggett, who served three terms as Montgomery County’s executive, said the work isn’t over, with another meeting scheduled for Aug. 10.

“This is an important document, but it’s a document to some degree [that] will be subject to changes as we look at new approaches to education and new changes that need to be made,” he said. “We have put in an awful lot of work and we’re still not through. We’ve accomplished a great deal with all our supporting personnel and organizations that have worked with us.”

Last week, the Blueprint board approved all 24 school systems’ first submissions of local reform plans.

Most counties have already planned to increase salaries for teachers, prepare to expand prekindergarten opportunities for 3- and 4-year-old children and provide career counseling for middle and high school students.

The plans also detail how local officials will implement Blueprint strategies through the upcoming 2023-24 school year.

Some members of the AIB praised a couple of school systems for their work during an online meeting Thursday.

Kirwan said that Anne Arundel County public schools’ plan to expand the number teachers to achieve National Board Certification “really stands out.”

AIB Executive Director Rachel Hise said Anne Arundel has one of the highest number of teachers with that credential in Maryland.

Blueprint Boardmember Joseph Manko said Frederick County’s plan to create a teacher pipeline with higher education institutions should be replicated by other school systems.

“Teacher shortages are a challenge across the state, but it seems like in Frederick County there’s been a really deep connection with their local institutes of higher education,” he said.

Between May 20 and June 25, each local school system received two rounds of feedback from staff of the AIB and the state Department of Education.

Twenty school systems received unanimous approval last week for their local reform plans. Calvert, Charles and Garrett counties need to amend documentation on a Career and Counseling Memorandum of Understanding.

Queen Anne’s also received unanimous approval, on the condition that it convert $1,000 teacher stipends from the current and two previous fiscal years into the base salary for all teachers. The stipends were paid because school officials realized they couldn’t provide a 10% increase for teachers this fiscal year, as required by the Blueprint law.

Each school system’s plan will provide a roadmap for local school officials to receive assistance from staff of various agencies as they prepare documents that outline strategies through the 2026-27 school years and in order to submit them to the board by March.

Meanwhile, the AIB made available summaries of each approved school system’s plans along with feedback from AIB staff specifying “areas of strength and opportunity” and “areas for further growth and improvement.”

Here’s a snapshot of the feedback for each school district on the Mid-Shore

Caroline – Strength: “Caroline County provided comprehensive responses in its implementation plan overall, but particularly in describing its K-12 mathematics and literacy instructional plans. Caroline’s process for identifying and selecting both high-quality and culturally responsive instructional materials by utilizing the MABE [Maryland Association of Boards of Education] equity lens and evaluating potential materials against a culturally responsive scorecard is particularly noteworthy. AIB staff look forward to following Caroline’s progress in forming a workgroup to identify specific criteria for culturally responsive materials in the 2023-24 academic year.”

Improvement: “Caroline’s implementation of CTE [career and technical education] programs could benefit from a greater focus on opportunities that CTE pathways present for students to attain high-wage, high-skill jobs. This could also help to encourage more students to pursue industry credentials and enroll in high school apprenticeships.”

Dorchester – Strength: “DCPS is expanding its pipeline of teachers through partnerships with the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM) program, Chesapeake College, and Salisbury University with a specific focus on efforts that will diversify the teaching force to better mirror the student body. Continue to seek solutions to fill hard to staff positions through these and additional collaborations.”

Improvement: “DCPS describes how staffing challenges are impacting implementation throughout the plan, including professional development and supporting students who are not yet meeting college and career [readiness] (CCR) expectations.  As strategies are developed to overcome these challenges, DCPS has the opportunity to consider creative approaches that will position the district as an early innovator in implementing the Blueprint, particularly with regards to meeting career ladder expectations. Such strategies could include teacher leaders returning to teaching for part of the day while creating, leading and monitoring professional development efforts; using high quality, school day tutoring funded through grants; and reallocating central office staffing to ensure teachers are in the classroom and students are receiving necessary support, etc.”

Kent – Strength: “Given Kent’s need to provide CCR [college and career readiness] support for very large numbers of students, the LEA [local education agency] has some strong structures in place now to build on including their Trojan Time period (to offer support/enrichment during the school day) and the summer programming that combines academic catchup with CTE exploration.  The LEA [local education agency] is thinking about the support it provides as needing to be engaging to students [and] Kent County is collaborating with neighboring Cecil County to organize community schools.”

Improvement: “Like most LEAs, Kent’s focus on the career ladder to date has been on supporting teachers working to achieve National Board Certification.  The district needs to think through how to structure new teacher roles and organize staffing to better serve students in their schools.  The LEA will benefit from technical assistance and guidance to develop a career ladder that goes beyond a focus on National Board Certification/salary incentives and leverages teacher leadership to improve teaching and learning.”

Queen Anne’s – Strength: “Queen Anne’s has created a continuous improvement process for their dual enrollment program. Data on how students perform prior to and in their dual enrollment courses will be used to help future students navigate whether to participate and which classes to take and help shape their partnerships with IHEs (institutions of higher education).”

Improvement: “QACPS has historically had trouble staffing math, world language, and secondary science teachers; recent shortages and decreasing enrollment in teacher preparation programs have made it hard for them to staff special education, elementary, and secondary positions in all levels. Queen Anne’s actively recruits at a number of events, but because of these shortages, the LEA [local education agency] needs to consider additional strategies to build strong teacher and teaching assistant pipelines, including through new recruitment and retention strategies (especially those targeting historically underrepresented populations).”

Talbot – Strength: “There is a comprehensive plan and commitment to monitoring key data and intervening early for students who are not on track as they enter high school, including an organizational audit to look for connections between policies and practices that either support or hinder student success [and] partnering with neighboring counties to collaborate on cross-county CTE [career and technical education] program offerings to broaden student options.”

Improvement: “As a smaller county, Talbot faces a number of challenges in Blueprint implementation including expanding early childhood education options (no private providers and no 3 [year] olds enrolled currently) and attracting the needed mix of teachers, support staff, and English Learner specialists. These were acknowledged and strategies were discussed but will need ongoing attention.”

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

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