What should we make of the recent survey finding by the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) that 41% of the state’s teacher’s work a second job to make ends meet?
Commentary
Opinion: School funding workgroup is stacked against counties
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Funding Formula Workgroup, has now been created to make recommendations for the distribution of funds by local school districts and between state and local governments. This workgroup will also make recommendations for specific funding formulas. I am greatly troubled by the make-up of the workgroup, which has only two members to represent interests of the county governments that pay the local costs of schools.
Commentary
Opinion: Fatherlessness, violence and political cowardice
With Father’s Day on Sunday, Towson University Professor Rick Vatz returns to his persistent theme about the negative impact of fatherlessness.
Commentary
Opinion: Smaller class sizes allow teachers to connect with students and achieve more
Larger classroom sizes are not only more difficult for teachers to manage but they also have been proven to make it more difficult for students to learn. Recently, when U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos advocated for super-sizing classroom sizes, teachers like me were outraged. It’s clear Secretary DeVos has NEVER worked with students in a classroom before. Otherwise, she would not have said that.
Commentary
Opinion: Overregulation of vaping hurts adult smokers, small business
The chairman of the Asian American Retailers Association is “deeply concerned that pending regulations will not only harm adult Marylanders attempting to quit smoking, but also cause potentially devastating effects on Maryland small businesses.”
Commentary
Opinion: If you value educators, pay them fairly
To be a teacher these days, we are also social workers, counselors, life coaches, and frontline health responders to Prince George’s County Public School (PGCPS) kids, every day, in our classrooms and in the halls of our schools, says Prince George’s County teacher Yvonne Baicich in an opinion piece we publish to mark the national Teacher Appreciation Day.
Commentary
Bob Bauman remembers publisher Ralph Hostetter
In his 97 years, Ralph Hostetter, in pursuit of his many interests, personal and business, touched many lives for the good. He was my friend and the editorial support of his newspapers contributed greatly to my political success.
Commentary
Opinion: New $15 minimum wage raises hard issues left out of debate
Several possible consequences of the General Assembly’s decision to hike Maryland’s minimum wage to $15 over Governor Hogan’s veto have been left out of the public debate, at least so far. Here are thoughts on a few of them. Independent contractors and temp agencies may be one of the moves.
Commentary
Commentary: A bipartisan solution for state retirees on drug costs
On prescription drug costs, I believe we struck a fair balance between what we are providing to state retirees and what we are asking the rest of our citizens to pay for in the future.
Commentary
Opinion: Baseless attacks on the restaurant industry
The Restaurant Association of Maryland responds to Progressive Maryland’s commentary attacking its polling and credibility. When Larry Stafford of Progressive Maryland implies that the Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) is deceptive with regard to the arguments we make to policymakers, writes Melvin Thompson, I have to draw the line. His attack is baseless, unwarranted and shows he has little understanding of business economics.
Commentary
Opinion: Maryland needs strong steps to protect online privacy
State legislatures across the country are questioning how to respond to our national epidemic of privacy violations. Maryland’s Cybersecurity Council is suggesting answers in hearings this week on a new Online Consumer Protection Act.