PRE-DNC AARP POLL PUTS ALSOBROOKS, HOGAN IN DEAD HEAT: In the race to replace Sen. Ben Cardin in the U.S. Senate, former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Democratic Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are tied in a dead heat, 46% – 46%, with 8% of voters undecided, according to a poll released Tuesday by AARP, the senior citizen lobby. Staff/MarylandReporter.com.
- Hogan has a narrow edge with voters older than 50, leading Alsobrooks in the survey 47 percent to 45 percent, the poll found. But the poll — which surveyed 600 likely voters between Aug. 14 and Aug. 20 — did not reflect any additional momentum Alsobrooks may have received from last week’s Democratic National Convention. Lateshia Beachum and Patrick Svitek/The Washington Post.
- But the survey also suggests Hogan may be falling just short of the Democratic support he needs to guarantee victory — and that Alsobrooks, who is less well known to voters at the moment, has more room to grow over the final two months of the campaign. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
- Alsobrooks and Hogan are vying not just for their own chance to represent Maryland, but for their party to control the Senate. Maryland is one of a handful of states where the outcome of the Senate race could factor into the balance of power, where Democrats currently hold a slim 51-49 majority. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
STATE’s HIGH-PRICED PENSION ADVISERS RELY ON RISKY STRATEGY: Some state retirees and outside observers are flagging warning signs about Maryland’s $67 billion pension fund, including $800 million in yearly management fees and alarms raised by a bond rating agency about risky investments. They’re questioning an investment strategy that leans on private equity, real estate and hedge funds — so-called alternative investments that are supposed to juice returns — but have instead led to subpar performance compared to other states. Peder Schaefer/The Baltimore Banner.
SMALL IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENT TESTING STATEWIDE: Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program standardized test results from spring 2024 reflected little overall improvement in English language arts and math, according to data released Tuesday by the Maryland State Department of Education. The percentage of MCAP English and math test takers scoring proficient each rose by less than a percentage point. About 48.4% of students scored proficient in English language arts, and 24.1% scored proficient in math. Annie Jennemann/The Baltimore Sun.
- While newly released data from MCAP standardized testing from spring 2024 showed little movement in statewide English language arts and math scores, but what about individual schools? Annie Jennemann/The Baltimore Sun.
- After receiving the results, the State Board of Education lowered its goals for student proficiency over the next two years, tamping down expectations established in June at the request of state officials who said that the revised metrics remained ambitious. Leaders dropped the benchmark for math proficiency among students in grades three through eight, for example, from 46 percent for the 2025-2026 school year to 37 percent by 2026. Nicole Asbury/The Washington Post.
- The data are from tests taken by students in grades three through eight in math and language arts. Additional results are from specific math courses in Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry. Student proficiency is also measured in science for students in fifth and eighth grades. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
- While Baltimore area school districts saw increases on Maryland’s annual math and English tests, student achievement elsewhere in the state has stalled. Students in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties made steady progress on both tests, far out performing their pre-pandemic achievement, but lagging in math. Liz Bowie and Greg Morton/The Baltimore Banner.
- Harford County public schools have shown small improvements in English language arts and math proficiency over the last year, according to Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program data released by the State Board of Education Tuesday. Matt Hubbard and Annie Jenneman/The Baltimore Sun.
PROPOSAL ON STRUGGLING 3rd GRADE READERS CAUSES CONCERN: Education professionals from across Maryland testified before the State Board of Education on Tuesday, expressing apprehension about a proposed policy that would require students to repeat third grade if they don’t read at grade level, noting that there can be adverse effects that come with grade retention, particularly on marginalized students. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE NEARS AWARDING CONTRACT TO REBUILD KEY BRIDGE: A Nebraska-based company is the frontrunner for a contract to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Kiewit Infrastructure topped the list of three qualified bidders despite submitting a projected cost that is nearly 3.5% higher than its competitors. But the state’s request for proposals on the project allowed for technical rankings to outweigh price, and Kiewit ranked first in technical experience among the bidders. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
TOO DARN HOT: B’MORE DPW PREPARES PAUSE IN TRASH PICKUP: In a surprise announcement, Baltimore’s Department of Public Works says it is “preparing for a possible pause” in trash pickups and recycling operations Wednesday, Aug. 28, to protect the health of sanitation workers. DPW says trash crews will start work early on Wednesday and will be pulled from their routes if conditions become unsafe, according to a press release Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.
B’MORE IG TO SEEK A SECOND TERM: She’s taken on some of Baltimore’s top political officials, and now she’s ready to take on a second term. This week, Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming made official a request that none of her predecessors could: She asked her independent board to keep her on the job when her term expires this year. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Sun.
MORE THAN HALF OF BA CO TEACHING VACANCIES ARE FOR SPECIAL ED: Over half of the teacher vacancies in Baltimore County Schools are for special education classrooms. Chief Human Resources Officer Homer McCall II told the school board Tuesday night that the district has around 70 teaching vacancies after the first day of school, down from 126 earlier this month. He added that 123, or 70%, of schools in the district have no vacancies, and no schools have more than four. Dillon Mullan/The Baltimore Sun.
