The major consensus around education reform in Maryland is the Blueprint still holds great promise. The Maryland General Assembly needs to decide just exactly how the financial and implementation challenges will be resolved in order to move that shared vision forward.
The Saturday morning 2026 MACo Summer Conference session, “Blueprint in Action: Building on Success and Finding Common Ground,” kicked off bright and early. This panel of state and local leaders discussed the accomplishments, challenges, and road ahead for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint) – the visionary education reform plan in Maryland.
Brief initial remarks were made by all four participants before the forum was opened up for an extended question and answer session. Chairman of the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board, Ike Leggett, started the session by reminding participants of the value the plan holds particularly for leveling the playing field around education in Maryland. Of equal importance, he shared the promise the plan holds as an economic driver for the state, which Maryland badly needs. Chair Leggett admitted the road has been tough but it has been necessary, and the plan needs to be seen through to the end. He shared that this will require the Maryland General Assembly to reckon with some of the fiscal and sustainability challenges that have been presented.
Next, Maryland Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Carey Wright, reiterated the value of the plan and the need to be optimistic and practical about implementation. As such, she shared, pillar by pillar, what components have been going well and those that are presenting challenges. The statewide success of community schools is a foundational backbone of the plan that has seen tremendous growth but also must continue to be nurtured. Challenges she shared were clear and concise however, including:
- limited space and funds to expand public prekindergarten
- significant cost increases for service delivery in need-based categories
- lack of available apprenticeship opportunities on the supply side
Cecil County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Jeffrey Lawson, spoke next and reiterated some of the major points of previous speakers. From a success perspective, he shared, that while apprenticeship availability has been weak statewide, in Cecil County this has been going very well, and is one of the highlights of implementation of the Blueprint in their school system. This is an important consideration when thinking about how statewide mandates can have incredibly nuanced and variable outcomes in practice across jurisdictions. The final point Superintendent Lawson made, was hearkening back to remarks shared by Chair Leggett – the state has a financial reckoning coming next year for the Blueprint and will need to make some very tough decisions.
Queen Anne’s County Commissioner and former President of MACo, Jack Wilson, finished out the opening remarks in a similar way as the previous presenters. He shared that there is a great deal of common ground when stakeholders discuss the value proposition of the Blueprint but there must be more predictability, sustainability, and flexibility around the financing and accountability. The extreme fluctuations in cost and oversight standards has presented a challenge in Queen Anne’s but commitment to the vision is possible with minor financial and operational tweaks.
The question and answer session focused on similar issues, but skewed even slightly more into employment specific inquiries and concerns around the needs of teachers and other necessary staff. Ultimately, the audience expressed the shared sentiments of the panel, which were that the Blueprint plan is not without its challenges, but still holds great promise. The details of how that outcome is reached, however, remain a significant part of the policy discussion.
More about MACo’s Summer Conference:
