The Maryland State Board of Education unanimously approved a draft memorandum of understanding that delineates clear responsibilities for centralized education reform oversight and accountability. If approved by the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board, the new standards will bring better clarification and guidance to local school leaders tasked with implementing the state’s massive education reform plan.
On Tuesday, during a regularly scheduled meeting, the Maryland State Board of Education (MSBE) voted to approve the draft memorandum of understanding to clarify which state entities are responsible for education reform oversight. This clarification came at the influence and request of the Public School Superintendents Association of Maryland (PSSAM) who have been advocating for this change as they rollout the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint). State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright supported this effort and reiterated the importance of this agreement, applauding the hard work of her team at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) as well as the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) and the MSBE.
Wright shared that the locals need to be able to expect clear and consistent guidance from the state and that the MOU is intended to facilitate just that. It will do so by making clear which state entity owns each component of centralized state responsibilities where Blueprint oversight is concerned. Wright went on to share that understanding who owns which element will help local school systems know and trust who they should expect support and direction from at the state level.
The 6-page agreement lists 66 oversight responsibilities across all five pillars of the Blueprint with the specified agency that fully owns that particular component – the AIB or MSBE/MSDE. In six instances, the MSBE has been listed as the owner of a task but with the AIB playing a consulting role. The intention is for those jointly owned tasks to be for issues with very broad statewide implications and not tied to the specific nuances of a certain program.
According to a general explanation of the agreement, AIB oversight broadly will include:
- local Blueprint implementation plan approval and progress monitoring
- instructions for what is required in plans
- facilitating inter-agency collaboration at the state level
MSBE/MSDE will fully own policy development and implementation as well as Blueprint:
- implementation
- guidance
- training
- support
The approval of the draft was unanimous by the MSBE and today the AIB will discuss and potentially adopt the draft agreement as well. If there are no changes then the agreement will be signed by both parties and go into effect. This will mark a great victory for local leaders who have experienced confusion and contradictions from competing or inconsistent state guidance.
Late Thursday note: the Accountability and Implementation Board also approves the MOU at its Thursday meeting, allowing the revised structure to go into place.
Interested in education policy issues? Don’t miss the MACo Summer Conference session, “Forging Ahead In Year Four of Maryland’s Blueprint,” on Friday, August 15, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, MD. You must be registered for the conference to attend, so register today!
Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference:
- Exhibitor Details & Pricing ALMOST SOLD OUT!
- Tech Expo Exhibiting Details SOLD OUT!
- Questions? Contact Virginia White
