Pillar two of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future aims to revolutionize the stature of the teaching profession and relies on buy-in from a vital workforce – new and existing teachers. 

A recent opinion article published in Maryland Matters shares a public school teacher’s perspective on the new career ladder components of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Previously covered on Conduit Street, the career ladder intends to bolster the quality and diversity of teachers in Maryland’s public schools.

With the Blueprint rollout being three years underway, the letter to Maryland Matters comes after information regarding the new strategy has begun trickling down to teachers from their respective administrators. The opinion initially discusses the concept of teacher career ladders generally, which aim to provide clear pathways for professional growth and advancement in the teaching profession. The article then focuses on the connection between the agreed value of the desired outcomes and whether the applied strategies from the Blueprint effectively address the root causes of teacher shortages and dissatisfaction.

At the core, this author poses five questions for consideration as officials assess the path ahead to reach the desired outcomes of the Blueprint plan, specifically pillar two, which prescribes the goal of:

…elevating the stature of the teaching profession through the implementation of a career ladder, competitive salaries, including raising starting pay to $60,000, incentives for National Board Certified teachers up to $17,000, as well as raising expectations for teacher preparation, induction, and mentoring programs to attract and retain high-quality teachers. 

The questions ask whether pillar two of the Blueprint:

• increases interest in the profession and attractiveness for both current and potential teachers
• creates opportunities for classroom teachers to participate in high-quality professional development and coaching from colleagues
• provides opportunities to grow personally and professionally without leaving the classroom
• offers truly innovative compensation plans
• demonstrates the soundness of the current investment in public education

In an effort to understand how the Blueprint rollout is going across all pillars of the plan, the 2024 MACo Winter Conference will host a panel to discuss just that. In the education session, “What We’ve Learned About Learning: The Blueprint In Year Three,” an esteemed panel of stakeholders will explore this topic. The career ladder will be amongst a list of important subject areas to cover.