On March 5, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample and Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally testified in support of HB 1245 / SB 852 – Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – Alterations with amendments.
These bills seek to adjust a number of components of the State’s visionary education plan, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint). The provisions of them focus broadly on early education, teacher development, college and career readiness, and resource allocation.
Significant reforms, as those prescribed by the Blueprint, hold great promise but must be built to last. Course corrections in the face of significant obstacles will serve students, educators, and communities better in the long run. HB 1245 / SB 852, with the reasonable changes outlined by MACo, can ensure the reform plan will work for all students, teachers, and school leadership.
The shifts proposed in HB 1245 / SB 852 have the potential to come at a time when the Blueprint plan faces an environment dramatically unlike that envisioned during its initial forecasts. The pandemic, labor market, and cost-drivers have altered the underpinning of this landmark effort. County governments have been funding partners, making record-setting financial commitments over three years of the roll-out, with the vast majority of jurisdictions funding well over their local share of Blueprint costs.
Even with these historic investments, education experts from across the state have highlighted challenges both operational and financial that could compromise the shared outcomes of the plan. HB 1245 / SB 852 presents an opportunity to address some of those obvious and demonstrated challenges. While counties take no issue with the majority of the proposals in the bill, MACo offers some narrow changes to support greater local flexibility and continued accountability.
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