Governor Wes Moore has filled a vacancy to the statewide board tasked with overseeing implementation of the landmark Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The vacancy was left when a member moved to the Moore-Miller Administration.
The Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) is tasked with overseeing the implementation of Maryland’s major education policy reform initiative known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The Board currently has a vacancy for one member, left when Fagan Harris resigned his seat to join the Moore-Miller Administration as Moore’s Chief of Staff. Harris was set to serve as one of the seven AIB members through July 2024.
Governor Moore selects Justin K. Robinson
Governor Moore announced on May 1 his selection of Justin K. Robinson to fill the AIB vacancy. In a press release, Moore said:
Justin is a leader and veteran educator who influences the lives of his students every day. He understands both Maryland’s education system and the responsibility that a quality educator has in supporting the success of children in Maryland. I look forward to his leadership on the board.
Robinson is a 12-year educator in the Prince George’s County Public Schools and is certified to teach secondary mathematics, social studies, English Language Arts, and science and to serve as a school administrator. He earned National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics in 2017 and is a doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins University researching teacher attrition. A board member of the Prince George’s County Education Association, he collaborates with district administration to implement the education career ladder and serves on the contract negotiation team. He has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and is a member of the Prince George’s County Blueprint Implementation Committee and Career Ladder Development Team.
Robinson will be the only teacher on the Accountability and Implementation Board and will bring critical perspective to the board’s work.
Robinson reflected on his appointment:
I am honored to serve on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board. We must work together to lift up the next generation of leaders—and that starts in the classroom. I will bring my education expertise to the board and represent Maryland’s teachers, working tirelessly to improve quality and equity in Maryland’s education system.
Appointment process
On February 10, the AIB launched an application process to fill Harris’ seat. Applications were due to the Nominating Committee by 8:00 p.m. on February 24, 2023.
The Accountability and Implementation Board Nominating Committee (AIBNC) is required to submit at least two nominees to the Governor to fill a vacancy on the
AIB. On April 4, the AIBNC submitted the following two candidates for consideration:
- Jan Gardner, former Frederick County Executive and past MACo president
- Justin Robinson, Prince George’s County Public Schools teacher
According to a press release:
A total of 45 valid applications were submitted by the February 24 deadline. The majority of applicants applied for the first time (32). Most of the applicants reside in Baltimore City (11) and Prince George’s County (9), with other applicants living in Montgomery County (7), Anne Arundel County (4), Howard County (4), Baltimore County (2), Frederick County (2), and (1) each from Allegany, Carroll, Charles, Queen Anne, and Washington counties. Slightly more than half of the applicants were female (25). A slight majority were white (20); the remaining applicants identified their race as Black (18), Asian (3), Hispanic (3), and Afro-Latino (1).
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The AIB must, to the extent practicable for a seven–member board, reflect the geographic, racial, and gender diversity of the State, as well as collectively reflect the six areas of expertise specified in the law. The AIBNC considered these factors and the individual qualities of each applicant when choosing the nominees from the applicant pool. Brief biographical information is provided for each nominee below.
