On February 26, 2024, Associate Policy Director Brianna January testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 1441- Early Childhood Education- Publicly Funded Prekindergarten Programs- Alterations. This bill alters credential requirements and allows prospective staff to work in the pre-K field while pursuing appropriate certifications. This bill also allows local education agencies (LEAs) to lease space from a county government to use as pre-K facilities.
Early childhood education is a core pillar of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, but the rollout of expanding pre-K to more Maryland kids has not gone as smoothly as planned. In November, MACo sent a letter to the Moore-Miller Administration and legislative leaders outlining some of the challenges.
Importantly, this bill incorporates many of the suggestions from county governments to help effectively implement this critical aspect of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future…Counties applaud these reasonable and needed adjustments to ensure successful expansion of early childhood education and to best serve all Maryland’s three- and four-year-olds.
HB 1441 was heard in the opposite chamber, the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, on March 27. MACo submitted testimony in support.
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