Budget Amendments Needed to Protect Funding for Students in Poverty, Multilingual Learners
And other legislative updates in this week’s Up the Street
THIS WEEK IN ANNAPOLIS
Governor’s Blueprint Bill Introduced; At-Promise Students Need Advocates
This week Gov. Moore introduced legislation titled the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, House Bill 504/Senate Bill 429, which is linked to the K-12 funding plan he included in his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, House Bill 350/Senate Bill 319. The complex bill includes a range of program areas, such as an expansion of Grow Your Own funding and collaborative time pilot program grants, as well as delays and reductions to some parts of the Blueprint, with some resources reallocated to bolster the education pipeline needed to achieve Blueprint goals and end pervasive educator shortages. While some of the program areas are promising, MSEA will advocate to reverse delays to priorities like community school expansion and to hold harmless students in poverty and multilingual learners from the impacts of some of the delays (as special education funding is held harmless).
On Wednesday, a joint hearing of the House Appropriations and Ways and Means committees highlighted Blueprint implementation successes and challenges. Legislators heard from MSEA President Paul Lemle, Vice President Nikki Woodward, and Political and Legislative Affairs Director Samantha Zwerling on areas of progress and needed improvement with the Blueprint. They also made the case that increased collaborative time— when educators would mentor students and one another, grade, confer, communicate with students’ families, and more—is still a critical reform that, even if it is delayed, should not be eliminated.
By delaying collaborative time, the governor’s bill reduces the expected foundation per pupil amount; and while the governor held harmless students who receive special education services, school systems would lose $80 million (state and local scheduled increases combined) of funding in FY26 to support multilingual learners (MLL) and students in poverty. MSEA will fight to restore the funds for those students, and will also fight back on the proposed delay in community school implementation.
Advocacy on behalf of these at-promise students will be imperative. It only takes a minute to email your legislators to tell them to prevent deep cuts to our schools and to support the governor’s fair tax reform plan that more sustainably funds our schools and other critical services.
Appropriations Committee Chair Delegate Ben Barnes (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel), whose committee marks up the budget first, shared MSEA’s concerns about funding impacts to students who need the most support. In Wednesday’s hearing Barnes acknowledged and found unacceptable the funding reduction proposed to compensatory education and MLL programs. “That’s something we’re very aware of. I don’t think you’ll see that coming out of the House,” Barnes said.
Legislative Black Caucus and MSEA Align on Education Goals
Like MSEA, Maryland’s Legislative Black Caucus is defending greater funding for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, asking the governor to reverse his budget plan with regard to cutting funding for children in poverty and multilingual learners, and freezing funding for community schools for two years at fiscal year 2026 levels. MSEA and the Black Caucus also share the goals of having Maryland join the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, strengthening restorative practices in schools, and reducing chronic absenteeism. We look forward to working together on these issues.
NEWS AND NOTES
Trump Undoes Protections for LGBTQ Students; Few Allies Foreseen in His Education Department
Some of fears of the LGBTQ population came to reality when President Trump, on his first day, ended the Biden Administration efforts to extend Title IX discrimination protections to transgender students. This removes restrictions on the kinds of gender-biased behavior and sex discrimination against students that former President Biden tried to prohibit.
“Donald Trump and his Project 2025 are attempting to further divide our nation, and they are using an extremely vulnerable population to do so,” said National Education Association President Becky Pringle. “Instead of working to divide us, he should be working to support student learning and development by ensuring that students across our great nation—no matter their race, background, sexual orientation, or gender identity—are respected, kept safe from gun violence in their schools and communities, and have the resources, one-on-one attention, and well-rounded curricula they need and deserve.” The NEA offers resources to educators to support LGBTQ rights.
Little help for marginalized populations seems intended to come from Trump’s Education Department, if he does not abolish it as promised. He nominated people with little to no experience supporting K-12 public education to lead the department. He nominated Linda McMahon, a founder and chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, to be secretary. McMahon served as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term and stepped down from the SBA in 2019 to lead the America First Action PAC in support of his reelection. For deputy secretary, Trump nominated Penny Schwinn, a voucher proponent and charter school founder who as Tennessee’s Education Commissioner for Republican Gov. Bill Lee was responsible for implementing the state law to prevent classroom discussions of race and racism.
Raids at Schools, Loss of Education Threatened in Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Posture
The prospect of deportation raids at schools, hospitals, and churches exists now, where it did not for decades before President Trump took office. He directed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to lift the practice of avoiding immigration enforcement at locations where students gather. With another executive order, Trump intends to revoke birthright citizenship that applies to anyone born in the U.S. On Thursday a federal judge temporarily blocked the order ending birthright citizenship.
Maryland joined California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, and the city of San Francisco in suing to uphold birthright citizenship.
“Birthright citizenship is a right enshrined in our Constitution,” said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. “It is a belief that every baby born on U.S. soil is a member of our great nation and deserves to play a part in its future.”
In the face of Trump’s terrorizing edicts, MSEA joins with the National Education Association and the State of Maryland in supporting the constitutional right of all children to receive a free education, regardless of immigration status. We advocate for an immigration system that is humane, functional, and just. An immigration system should include keeping families together, providing a path to citizenship, and providing health and language resources. In support of justice for targeted populations the NEA offers resources here that educators can share. Guidance sent this week from MSDE to local school systems on immigration enforcement actions can be found here.
Attar Nominated to Be Baltimore City Senator
In District 41, the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee recommended Delegate Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City) to replace former Senator Jill P. Carter (D). The committee forwarded Attar’s name to Gov. Wes Moore, who will appoint Carter’s replacement. Carter resigned January 3 to become a member of the Maryland Board of Contract Appeals.