Education Archives

Employee Benefits and Relations / Information Technology

MD Launches Rebuilt Maryland.gov as State’s New Digital Front Door

Maryland has launched a rebuilt Maryland.gov designed to simplify how residents access state services and benefits. The new platform emphasizes accessibility and consistent navigation across agencies as part of a broader effort to modernize Maryland's digital infrastructure. Governor Moore announced the launch of a redesigned Maryland.gov, positioning the State’s website as a streamlined “digital front door” for accessing public benefits, services, and government resources. The new site reflects the administration’s broader effort to improve customer…

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January 7, 2026

2026 Issue Preview: Hospital Rate Setting and the AHEAD Model

With the 2026 Legislative Session approaching, MACo is profiling major issues, including hospital rate setting in Maryland, that are likely to receive significant attention. Maryland has long stood apart in how it pays for and provides health care. Its unique all-payer system for setting hospital rates, improved through the state’s Total Cost of Care model, has kept costs down, led to better results, and garnered national attention as a model to follow. As previously covered…

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December 31, 2025

2026 MACo Issue Previews / Business Affairs / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Labor

2026 Issue Preview: Unemployment Insurance

With the 2026 Legislative Session approaching, MACo is profiling major issues, including unemployment insurance, that stand to garner significant attention. Maryland’s Unemployment Insurance system remains solvent for now, but projections show that stability may be short-lived. As previously covered in a MACo deep dive, the federal-state unemployment insurance (UI) system offers temporary financial support to individuals who have lost their jobs, helping to replace a portion of their income while they search for new employment.…

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December 26, 2025

County Budgets / County News / Education / Winter Conference

#MACoCon Recap: The Blueprint Beat Goes On…

As implementation continues, county and school leaders say the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is revealing growing gaps between statewide policy design and local fiscal and operational realities. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was built as a bold, statewide commitment to improving educational outcomes for every student. But as county leaders and school system officials made clear during MACo’s Winter Conference panel, "The Blueprint Beat Goes On…," translating a uniform funding formula into real-world success looks very…

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December 18, 2025

County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / Winter Conference

#MACoCon Recap: Strategies for Prescription Drug Spending

Prescription drug costs are no longer a back-office benefits issue for counties; they’re a frontline challenge shaping budgets, workforce retention, and long-term sustainability. Counties across Maryland are facing a familiar but intensifying challenge: how to sustain high-quality employee health benefits as prescription drug costs continue to climb. At MACo’s Winter Conference, the panel “Rx for Retention: County Strategies for Prescription Drug Spending” brought together county leaders, policy experts, and benefit consultants to unpack what’s driving…

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December 18, 2025

Business Affairs / County News / Labor / NACo and Federal Issues / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference

#MACoCon Recap: The State of Maryland’s Economy

Maryland’s economy is growing slightly, but mounting uncertainty around affordability, labor, and federal policy is reshaping what that growth really means for counties and communities. At MACo’s Winter Conference, economist Dr. Daraius Irani delivered a sobering but practical economic outlook during “Troubling Trends: The State of Maryland’s Economy,” offering county leaders a clear-eyed assessment of the forces shaping budgets and long-term planning decisions across the state. Amid growing uncertainty, Dr. Irani opened with a national…

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December 17, 2025

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Emergency Management / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News / Intergovernmental Relations / Risk Management / School Construction and Capital Budgets / Taxes and Revenues

Conduit Street Podcast: Professor Todd Eberly on “Interesting Times” in MD Politics

As Maryland heads into a challenging budget year and an election cycle legislative session, Professor Todd Eberly of St. Mary’s College of Maryland joins the Conduit Street Podcast to unpack the forces shaping the state’s political and economic landscape. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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December 5, 2025

Education

Governor’s Office Announces Initiative to Recruit More Men Into Teaching

As part of the workforce diversity initiative in the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, Governor Moore has announced an expanded strategy, through the Grow-Your-Own-Educators Grant Program, to bring more men into the teaching profession. Early this week Governor Moore announced new initiatives to strengthen Maryland’s teacher workforce while uplifting young men and boys. The expanded program brings $19M more in grant funding from the recent HB 504/SB 429 to the Grow-Your-Own Educators Grant Program. Awards are…

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December 4, 2025

Education

Education Funding On Legislative Priorities From Frederick Leadership and Schools

Frederick 2026 legislative priorities include support for a task force to study alterations to statewide education funding formula and more state investment in school construction. Recently Frederick adopted and released a package of legislative priorities for the 2026 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly. Funding for school operations and construction were prominent on the list from the County Executive's Office as well as requests made specifically by Frederick County Public Schools. The document, sent…

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December 4, 2025

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / School Construction and Capital Budgets / Winter Conference

A Winter #MACoCon Conversation With School Construction Chief Alex Donahue

Maryland’s policy landscape is shifting, and counties are at the center of critical conversations about education, housing, public safety, economic growth, and the changing state-local relationship. At this year’s Winter Conference, MACo will host a candid, forward-looking interview with Alex Donahue, Director of the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC), to explore top issues in public school construction. Guided by MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson, this session offers attendees a perfect opportunity to hear directly…

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December 3, 2025