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Baltimore reaches staggering 300 homicides for fifth year in a row; Gov. Larry Hogan is frustrated with rising violence in the city; Kirwan talk of the town around Maryland; Sykesville fire that caused two deaths didn’t have smoke detectors; vaping victim speaks out; Maryland making it more convenient to get REAL ID compliant; Howard County schools redistricting sparks big conversations about diversity, achievement, need-based programs; Franchot meets with Montgomery Dems; UMD father not satisfied with investigation into daughter’s death; Rawlings-Blake won’t seek Cummings seat; special election planning difficult for schools; new Democratic chair to be elected; Purple Line will be key for PG housing plans; court rules against MTA police show of force; Air BnB legislation difficult to enforce; nonprofit group supports police in Blue Line Flag debate; Del. Jalisi shares top priorities; more than a dozen teachers want to join state Board of Education; courthouse to be named in memory of Cummings
Howard County superintendent Michael Martirano proposed a school redistricting plan that hurts poor children by removing them from “Title I” schools where federally-funded programs help children from low-income families.
In Maryland, compromise provisions of the law “The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future” establishing (among other things) an independent Inspector General (IG) for Education, have created a weak auditing office—a tired, toothless canine. The new IG will be statutorily much weaker than his or her counterparts within the U.S. GAO, federal IG offices, Maryland’s Office of Legislative Audits (OLA), and IGs in the state’s executive-branch agencies.
The prevailing media narrative surrounding redistricting is a Manichean frame pitting social justice advocates fighting for equity (however ill-defined they use the term) against wealthy parents who do not want their children moved out of their community schools. However, there is another framework at play, one that explains the real coalitions and motivations at play: Bootleggers and Baptists, a theory developed by a Clemson University economist.
Children from lower-income families are concentrated in Columbia’s older neighborhoods and the Route 1 corridor because that’s where their parents can afford to live. Achieving equity in education for these students requires the additional resources laid out by the Kirwan Commision on Innovation and Excellence in Education. Simply moving them to higher performing schools, as the superintendent has proposed, is not enough.
Del. Trent Kittleman, R-9A Howard County, the grandmother of six students in Howard County public schools, questions Superintendent Michael Martirano plan to move 7,400 students to relieve overcrowding but also to achieve “socioeconomic integration.” Kittleman says the moves will harm many children.
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The Kirwan Commission’s real aim is hiking teacher pay by $3 billion a year, and it is why the state teachers’ unions are so strongly backing it – more teacher pay. Kirwan aims at “making teacher salaries more competitive with other professions.”
State union employees told lawmakers Tuesday they are concerned that staff shortages — of about 2,600, according to a 2018 study — are causing safety issues, including some injuries, for employees at certain agencies.
Longtime Del. Tawanna Gaines resigns amid charges of wire fraud; Maryland state agencies are struggling to handle thousands of public records requests, survey finds; how will members of the General Assembly greet the latest plans for the Preakness and Pimlico? Despite the questions, so far, so good; Comptroller Franchot criticizes Bay Bridge resurfacing, wants work suspended; Maryland Live, Horseshoe casino revenues slow; with three contenders, GOP primary for Cecil County exec expected to heat up; in attempt to avoid further ‘Healthy Holly’ scandals, city bill proposed to require elected leaders disclose client lists; and more than 650 pit bulls euthanized in Prince George’s since January 2018.
Instead of spending close to $3 million dollars as that is the projected transportation cost associated with Dr. Martirano’s proposal, a prudent way to spend this money would be educating school staff about trauma. No curriculum or instruction provided by the best Howard County teachers will succeed if a student is under chronic stress.