Maryland Legislative Session a
Victory
for Students and Educators
April 13, 2010...The Maryland General Assembly adjourned the 2010 legislative session granting increased funding to public education, approving an independent labor relations board for education employees, and creating education reform intended to enhance the state’s bid for federal Race to the Top funding. In a session where an unstable economy and state and local budget deficits served as an uncertain backdrop, lawmakers continued to place a high priority on public education, the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) announced today. The education budget was fully funded at $5.7 billion, including the Geographic Cost of Education Index (GCEI), which adjusts funding to compensate for regional differences in the cost of education.
“We are ecstatic that the Maryland General Assembly continues to recognize that in order to maintain our great public schools, we must consistently have adequate funding,” said Clara Floyd, president of MSEA. “We understand tough decisions had to be made, but the decision to put our children first is one that will be beneficial to the quality of life for all of Maryland’s residents.”
The Education Reform Act of 2010 has the potential to enhance Maryland’s schools with a provision to provide early mentoring and professional development for teachers who may be at risk for failing to achieving tenure. MSEA has long advocated for quality training for educators to slow the revolving door of beginning teachers, 50 percent of whom leave the profession within the first five years. The new legislation increases tenure time from two to three years and includes student progress as a significant component of teacher evaluations.
“We worked closely with Governor O’Malley, the General Assembly, and education advocates to make sure we passed a law that would be a win-win for educators as well as our students,” Floyd noted. “This puts us in a better position to compete for federal grant dollars and it also puts new teachers coming into the profession in a better position to receive the support and help that is needed to be successful.”
Another victory is the passage of the Fairness in Negotiations Act, which creates an independent Public School Labor Relations Board for all employees in K-12 education. The bill allows for labor disputes to be resolved through this board, while education policy continues to be determined by the State Board of Education. “We worked diligently on this piece of legislation for several years and we are pleased to finally see victory,” Floyd remarked.
With the legislative session over, MSEA will work to ensure that education-friendly officials are elected in November’s election. “It is the collaborative relationship between our members, the governor, lawmakers, and other education advocates that made these past 90 days successful for public education,” Floyd said. “It is that same spirit of teamwork and commitment to excellence that will help to keep Maryland’s public schools number one.”
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MSEA Leads Challenge to Get Consistent With Reading
February 26, 2010...In recognition of Read Across Maryland Month, the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA), along with Governor Martin O’Malley and several education stakeholders, has launched an initiative to encourage greater consistency in reading. Read 30 Minutes for 30 Days challenges family, classroom, community or individual reading for 30 minute stretches each day to create a habit of reading that will ultimately lead to greater student achievement, MSEA announced today. The Maryland Library Association (MLA) and Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL) have joined the effort, encouraging reading events and promoting the 30/30 program with fliers and posters in every public school and library in the state.
“We understand that consistency can lead to a greater interest in reading, which will help students to improve skills in every area,” said Clara Floyd, president of MSEA. “This initiative is about collaboration and that is exactly how we believe we can be more successful in creating the best learning experience for our students.”
On March 1st, Governor O’Malley will announce the initiative during a reading to Anne Arundel County students at Annapolis Public Library. The challenge officially begins March 2nd, which nationally is Read Across America Day, and will conclude on March 31st. During this time, readers are asked to post pictures, videos and comments on the newly created Read Across Maryland site. In mid-April, MSEA will randomly choose two participants to receive an Amazon Kindle.
Additionally, MSEA will host 40 second graders from Eastport Elementary School on March 2nd for a Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, where Lt. Governor Anthony Brown will be the special reading guest. Also on March 2nd, the Cat in the Hat will visit the Senate and House of Delegates in the State House, where several legislators will donate books to a favorite Maryland public school. On March 22nd, the reading continues with 50 middle school students gathering for a day of reading, touring and character building at the Banneker-Douglass Museum in Annapolis.
“It’s been said that anything done for 21 days becomes a habit. We hope that in 30 days reading will not only become a habit, but a permanent part of every child’s day,” Floyd concluded.
Other partners included companies that contributed services or goods for events, such as Annapolis Waterfront Marriott, Doyle Printing, KC Enterprises and Smile Makers. For a complete list of events and information on the 30/30 program, visit www.readacrossmaryland.org.
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Maryland State Education Association Celebrates 2nd Year
of # 1 Ranking for Public Schools
January 14, 2010….The collaborative commitment of educators, lawmakers and the community has led to Maryland’s number one ranking by the Education Week magazine for the second consecutive year, the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) announced today. In the annual Quality Counts report card, Maryland received the top ranking in the nation for policy efforts and outcomes, making it the number one ranked state in the country for excellence in public education.
“Our status as number one in the country is directly related to the commitments of our educators, who consistently work to provide a high quality public education, and to Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly,” says Clara Floyd, president of MSEA. “Our state’s historic funding is paying off and we look forward to continuing to build on our successes.”
Maryland also scored number one in the area of Transition and Alignment on the Quality Counts Report Card, which speaks to the state’s ability to effectively provide instruction that is relevant to standardized tests. “We have worked as a team with educators, policy makers, parents, and elected officials to ensure that the success of Maryland’s public schools remains a number one priority,” Floyd remarks. "Despite the difficult economy, it is important to remember that investments in education are investments in our children’s futures and in the quality of life for all residents of Maryland.”
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Maryland Educators Vote for Early Endorsement
of Governor O’Malley
October 16, 2009, Ocean City, MD…Citing his commitment to keeping Maryland’s schools first in the nation with record funding, the 71,000-member Maryland State Education Association (formerly the Maryland State Teachers Association) today voted overwhelmingly to endorse Martin O’Malley for re-election as governor at its annual meeting. MSEA’s Endorsement Council, comprised of state association leaders, local association presidents and other leaders of its 40 local affiliates, had unanimously recommended early endorsement to the more than 700 delegates from across the state.
“Over the past three years, we have been very fortunate to have a governor who has made a huge investment in Maryland’s public school children, despite the tough economic climate,” said MSEA President Clara Floyd. “He has listened carefully to educators’ views on what we need to create great public schools for every child in our state, and he has shown tremendous leadership in backing his words with actions.”
O’Malley’s accomplishments so far in the area of education include: historic funding of school construction and renovation totaling over $1 billion; investment of over $5.5 billion in preK-12 education, including funding the Geographic Cost of Education Index (GCEI) for the first time; and implementation of the TELL Maryland survey, an instrument for teachers and other educators to express their views about the opportunities and challenges in their schools.
This past year alone, Maryland’s public schools were ranked number one in the country for the first time by Education Week, Newsweek, and the College Board. “The governor, with his unflagging commitment to Maryland’s schoolchildren, certainly played a major role in this accomplishment,” added Floyd. “He is helping us get closer to our goal of teaching all students 21st century skills for a 21st century global economy.”
Joint Press Release
October 6, 2009
Maryland State Education Association: Dan Kaufman, 443-433-3630ACLU of Maryland: Meredith Curtis, 410-889-8555
Maryland Association of Boards of Education: John Woolums, 410-841-5414
Maryland PTA: Debbie Ritchie, 410-760-6221
Education Advocates Speak Out in
Opposition to BOAST Legislation
Tuition Tax Credits Would Siphon Much-Needed Public Dollars from Public Schools
On October 6, 2010, the BOAST Coalition will train advocates in the hope of passing tuition tax credit legislation for Maryland private and religious schools during the upcoming 2010 General Assembly. Public school advocates including the Maryland PTA, Maryland State Education Association, Maryland Association of Boards of Education and ACLU of Maryland are vigorously opposed to this legislation, which will reduce the state’s general fund during an extremely tough budget climate where important programs are being cut and furloughs and layoffs are increasing.The tax credit legislation, if passed, will provide businesses with a 75 percent state income tax credit for donations to scholarship organizations that support private and religious school students. Existing tuition tax credit schemes in several other states have clearly shown the problems inherent in this type of legislation. Most important in these tight fiscal times is that this scheme benefits businesses and drains state funds that are desperately needed for critical state services, while subsidizing tuition at private and religious schools with public tax dollars.
To date, tax credit scholarships have cost Arizona some $350 million in lost revenue, including more than $50 million in 2008 alone. Pennsylvania’s BOAST program now costs taxpayers nearly $80 million per year in lost revenue. Declining revenues have already forced Maryland to cut important state programs and services, such as the preservation of our state parks, public safety, and health care for our neediest children and families. We are furloughing our state employees, further reducing services available to Marylanders in need, and can ill afford to intentionally reduce revenues further.
Nor is there any public benefit in doing so. This business tax credit program contains no mechanism for oversight or accountability that ensures that those in need are the actual beneficiaries. Private and religious schools that would benefit from a tuition tax credit program are not accountable to the public in the way that public schools are by having to disclose data on student achievement, attendance, graduation and dropout rates, and other basic relevant information. Most recently a series of articles in the East Valley/Scottsdale Tribune and the Arizona Republic exposed a lack of oversight and accountability for the private school tax credit program on which the BOAST bill is modeled. The investigation showed that the program primarily benefits more affluent students. In addition, the investigation proved that a majority of students receiving the tax credit benefit already attend private schools, and that the program has pushed private school tuition costs up, making those schools even less affordable for disadvantaged students. The newspapers also reported that executives at two large tax credit scholarship organizations have used the program for personal gain. A study by the non-partisan RAND Corp. also concluded that tuition tax credits rarely benefit poor children. Of course, our vital public schools in Maryland serve all children, no matter their economic background.
Public school advocates applaud Governor O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly for continuing to provide the resources that have helped make Maryland’s public schools #1 in the nation, especially given the very difficult budget climate state policymakers are facing. There will be continued pressure to cut the state budget during the upcoming 2010 General Assembly session. During these times, Maryland cannot afford an expensive tuition tax credit program for private and religious schools that has proved to be costly, ineffective and unaccountable in other states.
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