The University of Maryland’s College Park and Baltimore campuses will be collaborating to “MPower the State” through a new strategic partnership, the Board of Regents voted unanimously on Thursday. The university system has been exploring ways to work more closely after the General Assembly passed a bill last year directing both campuses to look into the possibility of a merger. [...more]
Splitting the local contribution of teacher pension and Social Security costs between state and county governments, as proposed by Gov. Martin O’Malley, would devastate county budgets, county officials told members of the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday. [...more]
Teachers from across the state expressed anxiety about education funding and the teacher pension plan to a panel of state and local officials at a town hall event Monday evening near the State House. [...more]
Administrators from the University System of Maryland delivered impassioned and at times confusing testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and Economic Development on Wednesday in response to recommended budget cuts. [...more]
Education groups in Maryland are asking the legislature to require waivers from counties that fall below maintenance of effort funding levels. Maintenance of effort mandates county governments to spend no less per student than the prior year or face penalties reducing annual increases in state aid. [...more]
Public charter schools have had a difficult time expanding in Maryland, except in Baltimore, which has 37 of the state’s 51 charter schools. Charters applications are often rejected – more often in some jurisdictions than others – and some counties have no charter schools. [...more]
This was National School Choice Week in America, marked by over 400 events around the country to celebrate public charter schools. But there were only one announced in Maryland, a dinner discussion set for next week in Baltimore. Public charter schools are increasing as an alternative educational option throughout the nation. But advocates say Maryland’s laws and the scrutiny given to new charter applicants are slowing progress toward more school choice. [...more]
As counties struggle to meet their education funding requirements under the state’s maintenance of effort program, legislators wonder if shifting teacher pension costs under Gov. Martin O’Malley’s budget plan would make a difference. [...more]
For the fourth year in a row, Maryland public schools have come out on top on the annual state-by-state report card published by Education Week magazine. Maryland earned its top place with an overall B+ grade, compared to a C average for the nation as whole. [...more]
Comptroller Peter Franchot criticized the University of Maryland’s College Park Foundation’s use of $7.2 million to rebuild the university president’s palatial on-campus residence, as he cast the sole vote opposing the demolition of the current home at Wednesday’s Board of Public Works meeting. [...more]
