Up the Street

October 2, 2020

Coronavirus and Schools

Up the Street

State Board Meeting Grapples with Reopening Safely

THIS MONTH IN ANNAPOLIS Reopening Safely: State Board Meeting Fuels Worry Rather Than Confidence Throughout September and as recently as yesterday Governor Hogan and State School Superintendent Karen Salmon continued to make high-pressure statements that left educators anxious and confused. At the State Board of Education (SBOE) meetings on September 21 and 22, Salmon continued […]

Coronavirus and Schools

Up the Street

Reopening with Commitment, Despite Demoralizing State Actions

THIS MONTH IN ANNAPOLIS Reopening with Commitment, Despite Demoralizing State Activity Educators have worked hard all summer to make this school year fulfilling and successful for all students. Despite the lack of specific guidance over the summer from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), school systems drafted reopening plans as required and worked to […]

Coronavirus and Schools

Up the Street

Prioritizing Safety, Funding, and Listening to Educators

THIS MONTH IN ANNAPOLIS Reopening Schools: Listen to the Educators In the middle of July, and in the absence of meaningful plans to safely reopen schools, MSEA, the Baltimore Teachers Union, and Maryland PTA jointly sent a letter to Superintendent Karen Salmon and Gov. Larry Hogan calling for the school year to begin with virtual […]

Newsroom

Educator Activism Helps Stop Budget Cuts

THIS MONTH IN ANNAPOLIS Pandemic Effects: Avoiding Catastrophe At the end of June, Gov. Hogan and his Department of Budget and Management proposed $1.45 billion in state budget cuts, including $345 million from school- and educator-related funding and programs. The first round of the proposed cuts was scheduled to be acted on by the […]

Newsroom

Crisis Distance Learning Makes Blueprint Even More Critical

Photo © Stephen Cherry THIS MONTH IN ANNAPOLIS What Happens to the New Programs from the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Now? Unfortunately, but not unpredictably, Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future on May 7. He said the coronavirus crisis required him to veto new spending, but the truth is he had never supported the […]

Newsroom

The Blueprint Is More Important Than Ever

MSEA President Cheryl Bost and students rally in February before the bill hearing for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. (Photo © Stephen Cherry) THIS MONTH IN ANNAPOLIS Coronavirus Upends Legislative Process; Blueprint Plan Is Part of Solution The ongoing health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have kept Gov. Hogan from acting on the nearly 700 […]

Newsroom

What’s Next for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future?

Photo: Governor’s office THIS MONTH IN ANNAPOLIS The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Awaits Action from Gov. Hogan While attention is appropriately on the dangerous spread of coronavirus and containing it, much legislation awaits next steps after being passed during the General Assembly session that adjourned sine die on March 18. Among the important legislation waiting to […]

Newsroom

What Passed, What Didn’t, What’s Next

Photo from Del. Maggie McIntosh on Twitter THIS WEEK IN ANNAPOLIS The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Passes in Shadow of Coronavirus What would have been a day to exuberantly celebrate the passage of the most important education legislation in a generation instead was overshadowed by the widespread coronavirus infection threatening the nation. On Wednesday at 5 […]

Newsroom

A Momentous Week in Annapolis

Photo credit: Governor’s office THIS WEEK IN ANNAPOLIS The Blueprint Marches On: Don’t Let Up the Pressure Just a week ago, the House of Delegates passed House Bill 1300, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, rejecting dozens of floor amendments before sending the bill to the Senate. Failed amendments involved “checkpoint” initiatives that would slow the rate […]

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