Read more about the article Governor Declines Invitation to Kirwan, Relies on Brinkley
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Governor Declines Invitation to Kirwan, Relies on Brinkley

In a letter sent by William E. "Brit" Kirwan, Chair of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, Governor Hogan was invited to directly address the Commission at an upcoming meeting. Kirwan believes that the Commission members "would benefit greatly by hearing directly" from the Governor and suggested he hoped to "find common ground on how we can ensure that all Maryland students have access to a high quality education." This invitation was declined…

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October 31, 2019
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
ACLU and NAACP: Kirwan Isn’t Enough

Two organizations currently suing the State of Maryland over education funding have indicated they believe the ambitious plan falls short of amounts needed to end achievement and opportunity disparities in Maryland schools. The decade-long, widely-hailed Kirwan Commission plan for education funding has not sated the concerns of two well-known advocacy groups. The ACLU of Maryland and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund stated this week they will continue their lawsuit against the State of Maryland over…

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October 31, 2019
Read more about the article Full Kirwan Commission Gets Updated, Back on Track to Finish Work
Education / MACo Events / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference
Full Kirwan Commission Gets Updated, Back on Track to Finish Work

The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (Kirwan Commission) met for the first time on October 30, after receiving final recommendations from the Funding Formula Workgroup. Chairman William E. (Brit) Kirwan introduced new members to the Commission including Senator Mary Beth Carozza, Delegate Eric Luedtke, former Senator Gail Bates now representing the Maryland State Board of Education, and MACo "rural county"  representative, Queen Anne's County Commissioner Jack Wilson. Before getting started, members took time…

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October 31, 2019
Read more about the article County Libraries Respond to E-book Embargo
County News / Education
County Libraries Respond to E-book Embargo

County libraries across the country are pushing back against Macmillan Publishers’ new policy when it comes to purchasing e-books. The publishing giant announced that starting Nov. 1, libraries can only purchase one copy of a newly released e-book and cannot purchase additional copies until eight weeks after its publication. The new policy applies only to e-books. Libraries are increasingly dependent on eBooks and eAudiobooks to meet growing demand and help reach people who have a…

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October 29, 2019
Read more about the article EducationSuperHighway Declares Mission Accomplished on School Broadband
County News / Education / Intergovernmental Relations
EducationSuperHighway Declares Mission Accomplished on School Broadband

EducationSuperHighway, an organization founded with the mission of upgrading the Internet assess in every public school classroom in America, has declared the mission completed and will sunset August 2020. Nationwide, EducationSuperHighway declared that only 743 schools still need to be connected to the infrastructure needed for digital learning, meaning over 99% of the nation's schools have affordable and reliable broadband connections at a minimum speed of 100 kbps and with a clear way to scale…

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October 29, 2019
Read more about the article Farm Credit Partners with National Farm to School Network
Agriculture / County News / Education / MACo Events / News You Can Use / Winter Conference
Farm Credit Partners with National Farm to School Network

October of National Farm-to-School Month, and MACo Winter Conference sponsor Farm Credit is partnering with the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) to close the gap between students and the food that they eat through local food procurement and farm and garden education. From Farm Credit's Blog: Sam Ullery, school garden specialist for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in Washington, D.C., visits schools across the nation’s capital that are interested in…

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October 29, 2019
Read more about the article PARCC Replaced with Shorter Exam for Maryland Students
County News / Education
PARCC Replaced with Shorter Exam for Maryland Students

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test (PARCC) was given for the last time in 2018 and now will be replaced with the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP). The new tests will be broken down into math and English, the same as the PARCC exams, although MCAP exams will be broken down further in order to give more flexibility for schools. The math exam for MCAP will now be broken into…

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October 23, 2019
Read more about the article Perfect Storm for County Budgets… Revisited at #MACoCon
County Budgets / County News / Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Winter Conference
Perfect Storm for County Budgets… Revisited at #MACoCon

A storm is brewing. Rising costs, sluggish growth, unfunded mandates, and greater demand for services all signal turbulent times ahead for county government budgets. At the 2019 MACo Summer Conference, a panel of state and local fiscal leaders discussed several factors pointing to turbulent times ahead for county government budgets. Now — with new economic data and a better understanding of the Kirwan Commission's plan to fund its ambitious, multi-billion-dollar overhaul of Maryland's education system…

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October 22, 2019
Read more about the article Gardner’s State of the County Address Focuses on “Liveable Frederick”
County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Finance and Procurement / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Parks and Recreation / Planning and Zoning / School Construction and Capital Budgets / Transportation and Public Works
Gardner’s State of the County Address Focuses on “Liveable Frederick”

The state of Frederick County is strong, vibrant, and on the move, County Executive Jan Gardner said during her annual State of the County Address last week. “Livable Frederick lays the foundation for our bright future so we can make life better for the people who call Frederick home,” County Executive Gardner said. “We’ve embraced our rich history, invested in our people and places, and taken care of our citizens. We are leading the way…

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October 22, 2019
Read more about the article Cyberattacks on School Districts Dramatically Increase in 2019
County News / Education / Information Technology
Cyberattacks on School Districts Dramatically Increase in 2019

According to cybersecurity company Armor, ransomware attacks on more than 500 schools have occurred in 2019. Another report, by antivirus maker Emsisoft, identified 62 ransomware attacks impacting more then 1,000 schools and higher education institutions. K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center only reported 11 ransomware-specific attacks in all of 2018. District Administration reports schools systems closing anywhere from a few days to over a month due to hackers. School officials have differed on their responses with some…

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October 17, 2019
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