Rural County Coalition Shares Lunch, Policy Updates at #MACoCon
Agriculture / Education / Emergency Management / Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Public Safety and Corrections / Winter Conference
Rural County Coalition Shares Lunch, Policy Updates at #MACoCon

The Rural County Coalition held their regular lunch event at the MACo 2019 December Winter Conference on December 5. The Coalition heard updates on a variety of policy issues, including solar siting, the Forest Conservation Act, volunteer firefighters, and Kirwan Commission education funding recommendations. The Rural County Coalition is a MACo Chapter Organization that provides a voice for sixteen of Maryland's rural counties, allowing them to offer their unique perspective on important state and federal…

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December 10, 2019
County Officials Navigate Kirwan Recommendations at #MACoCon
Education / MACo Events / Winter Conference
County Officials Navigate Kirwan Recommendations at #MACoCon

At the 2019 MACo Winter Conference session, “Breaking Down the Blueprint: School Funding in Focus,” paenlists discussed the generational debate on school funding. Attendees learned more in depth about the Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education recommendations and how they could translate into legislation for the 2020 Session as well as the budgetary reality for Maryland’s counties. Vice President of the Frederick County Board of Education, Joy Schaefer, led audience members through a presentation…

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December 10, 2019
Improving Census Participation Means More $$$ at #MACoCon
County Budgets / Economic Development / Education / Emergency Management / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Intergovernmental Relations / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works / Winter Conference
Improving Census Participation Means More $$$ at #MACoCon

Attendees to the MACo 2019 December Winter Conference learned about the importance of participating in the 2020 Census and how to achieve higher participation rates among undercounted communities during the "2020 Census: The Foundation of Our Future" panel. The paenl was held on December 4. Maryland Secretary of Planning Robert McCord explained the importance of the census to state and local funding and how census data is used. McCord highlighted how the Maryland Department of…

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December 10, 2019
Preview the 2020 Session “Big Picture”
Business Affairs / County Budgets / County News / Education / Elections / Emergency Management / Employee Benefits and Relations / Environment / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Human Resources / Information Technology / Parks and Recreation / Pensions & Public Funds / Planning and Zoning / Public Information and Ethics / Public Safety and Corrections / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Transportation and Public Works
Preview the 2020 Session “Big Picture”

A compilation of Issue Papers previews major fiscal and policy issues facing the General Assembly in the year ahead. This resource is a handy guide to the top issues that your legislators will be tackling in 2020 – a great preparation document for county officials in advance of meetings with their local Delegations. Developed by the Department of Legislative Services (DLS), the 2020 Issue Papers are an annual staple for the Annapolis policy-inclined population. They are also…

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December 6, 2019
Study: Kirwan Plan Connects to Wages, Revenues Over Time
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference
Study: Kirwan Plan Connects to Wages, Revenues Over Time

A study on the fiscal effects of the proposed Kirwan Commission plan for education funding, commissioned by plan supporters, suggests the presumed educational improvements may begin to "pay for themselves" by 2034. Strong Schools Maryland, an advocacy group supporting the proposed plan for advancing Maryland public school funding over the next decade, has commissioned a report claiming the plan would have significant positive fiscal effects. The report, prepared by the Sage Policy Group, suggests the…

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December 3, 2019
Millions of Gifted Children Overlooked in the U.S.
Education
Millions of Gifted Children Overlooked in the U.S.

A report out of Purdue University's Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER2I), as many as 3.6 million gifted children are being overlooked in U.S. public schools. Researchers found this number by applying the 10 percent average (of classified gifted students) to the roughly 4 of 10 schools that had identified no gifted students at all. GER2I adjusted the number for the many Latinx, African American, Native American/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students who…

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November 29, 2019
Rural Counties Coalition Will Look Ahead at Conference
Education / Planning and Zoning / Winter Conference
Rural Counties Coalition Will Look Ahead at Conference

MACo's Chapter Organization for rural counties will meet during the MACo Winter Conference, with updates and information for county leaders from rural areas, including solar siting and the Forest Conservation Act. The Maryland Rural County Coalition was formed by the governing bodies of Allegany, Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties on December, 12, 2011. Working in conjunction with MACo, the Coalition provides a voice for Maryland's rural counties, allowing them to offer their unique perspective on…

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November 27, 2019
Sun: It Wasn’t Kirwan’s Job To Say How To Pay For Its Plan
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Winter Conference
Sun: It Wasn’t Kirwan’s Job To Say How To Pay For Its Plan

The Baltimore Sun Editorial Board continues its missives on the proposed education plan by refuting the argument that the Kirwan Commission "failed" to develop a financing plan for its recommendations - something that was never in its charge. By now, every stakeholder (and Conduit Street reader) knows the basics:  Maryland is about to fully debate an ambitious and expensive plan to bring our public schools to "world class" status. The plan is the product of…

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November 26, 2019
Kirwan Commission Wraps, Passes Formulas and Timetables
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Kirwan Commission Wraps, Passes Formulas and Timetables

The Kirwan Commission completed its work on November 21, taking its final vote on funding formulas and phase-ins, and will now send its full recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly for consideration as legislation in 2020. Commissioner, and Montgomery County Council Member, Craig Rice, engages in discussion during the final meeting of the three-year school funding commission. The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, regularly convening for day-long sessions since 2016, completed its…

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November 22, 2019
Send in Questions for #MACoCon Kirwan Panel
County News / Education / MACo Events / Winter Conference
Send in Questions for #MACoCon Kirwan Panel

The general session of #MACoCon will be answering your questions on school funding and the Kirwan Commission. Let MACo know if you have a topic you want directly addressed at the meeting (see instructions near the end of this post.) Breaking Down the Blueprint: School Funding in Focus Description: As the generational debate about school funding continues, join our panel for a hearty discussion on Kirwan – its goals, steps, accountability, and costs. Panelists will…

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November 21, 2019
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