The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) proposed eight legislative principles intended to guide the State Board and State Superintendent during the 2025 legislative session.
With the upcoming session on the horizon, state and local agencies are organizing priorities ahead of the Maryland General Assembly reconvening in January. During a meeting in late August, MSDE submitted a draft of legislative priorities to the State Board of Education for approval. The first draft includes eight broad initiatives intended to guide the advocacy actions of both the State Board and State Superintendent of Schools.
Priorities from the draft proposal were:
- Increase Academic Achievement
- Bolster Investments in Public Education
- Affirm a Politically Independent State Education Governance Structure
- Build Capacity at MSDE
- Reduce Creation of New Unfunded Legislative Mandates
- Resist Curricular Mandates
- Lead with an Equity Focus
- Prioritize Fiscal Accountability
The executive summary of the document highlighted a general approach before diving into details.
We continue to maintain a laser-like focus on improving outcomes for all students by building coalitions with key stakeholders and bringing transparency and accountability to the forefront of our work.
Individualized descriptions under each principle featured priorities consistent with county government initiatives in recent years, specifically around unfunded mandates, fiscal prudence, transparency, and accountability.
A highlight of pillar number five:
The State Board opposes unfunded legislative mandates for the State Board, MSDE, and local school systems, and supports streamlining areas of statute with outdated mandates and reporting requirements.
From the description of draft pillar number eight:
The State Board advocates for fiscal accountability and prudence, especially during difficult budgetary times. The State Board prioritizes support for legislation that minimizes fiscal impact on the State budget and results in the strategic reallocation of funding from existing Blueprint or other existing educational appropriations.
The final legislative platform will be available in the coming weeks as the beginning of the 2025 legislative session approaches.
