Maryland education advocates rally in Annapolis as Blueprint faces restructure
BALTIMORE -- Maryland education advocates rallied in Annapolis on Monday against proposed rollbacks to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
Debate over how to balance Maryland's budget continues over which programs should be cut to reduce spending.
The state is facing a $3 billion deficit and Gov. Wes Moore's proposal includes restructuring how the state funds education and its Blueprint for Our Future plan.
The state needs to pass a balanced budget by April. If a budget is not agreed on, Moore can call for a special session to pass a budget.
There are several bills before the General Assembly to reform education spending, including the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act. This dually sponsored bill in both the House and Senate calls for the changes Moore outlined in his budget.
What's the Blueprint?
The Blueprint became law in 2021 after the General Assembly overrode a veto of the bill by former Gov. Larry Hogan.
The Kirwan Commission was formed in 2016 and worked for three years to develop the Blueprint based on best practices to help the state's poorest schools.
The education plan sought to bolster spending in high-concentration poverty schools and uplift students who need additional services to succeed in underserved districts.
Rallying for education
To the tune of "Our Children Can't Wait," dozens gathered at Lawyers Mall on Monday, the four-year anniversary of passing the legislation. Strong Schools Maryland rallied against proposed rollbacks to the state's education Blueprint.
The 10-year education plan is fully funded through fiscal year 2027 but would case a $1.1 billion deficit in 2028. Some of the programs are back on the table for negation now to restructure the plan to make it more sustainable, according to Moore.
Budget's impact on Blueprint
In the proposed budget, the governor seeks to limit collaborative time for teachers and calls for community school funding freezes.
These schools serve high-poverty areas of the state and provide additional supports and services to students and their families. Education lobbyists argue the proposed budget will also cut funds for wrap-around services, such as behavioral health programs, services for students with disabilities, and additional support for multi-lingual learners.
"We're talking about Baltimore City and Prince George's using losing millions and millions of expected funds and community school funding and we've heard the downstream effects," said Riya Gupta, interim executive director for Strong Schools Maryland.
Teachers argue collaborative time is important not only for recruitment, but also retention of staff. They say this time is used to lesson plan and work with other educators on best practices, as well as work together to support students who need extra resources.
Critical teacher recruitment
In Gov. Moore's plan, $110 million would be redirected to focus on teacher recruitment, which the governor says is critical.
"It's planned that the Blueprint does equitable funding for students in high concentration of poverty, schools and schools that have large numbers of multilingual learners. Those proposals are on the table right now while we are trying to balance the budget," said Paul Lemle, president of the Maryland State Education Association.
According to the proposed budget, education spending is up $551 million from last year, which is a 6% increase. Moore's office calls this a record spending on public education which will continue under his watch.
Progress in Baltimore City schools
WJZ's media partner The Baltimore Banner reports Baltimore City Schools is bracing for a $400 million cut in Blueprint funds over the next four years.
The Banner reports that Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises says a large portion of that funding would be targeted to schools with high numbers of poor students, or students learning English as a second language.
Over just a few years, Baltimore City Schools says it is already seeing progress with more Black and Latino students in Advanced Placement courses, and more students are participating in art, music and middle school athletics.
Compromise
In January, Moore presented his budget and his new tax plan which calls for increasing income tax rates on the state's highest earners.
In his State of the State address, Moore even called himself out, saying he falls into these tax brackets and is OK spending more in taxes if it means Maryland can have the best schools.
Restructuring the Blueprint
In a sit down interview with the governor before his address last week, WJZ asked him about restructuring the Blueprint.
"Public education is going to be our key to making sure we have economic success. I also know that if we have to make adjustments in order to make sure that the Blueprint is both effective and sustainable, we should be unafraid to make those adjustments," Moore said.
Republicans argue the additional Blueprint funding should be reallocated to decrease the deficit and eliminate the tax reform.
"You don't need the tax raises. If you just said for one year, we're not going to use the extra blueprint money. That's not a cut for public education, that's not a cut from where we were two or three or four years ago," Del. Jason Buckel, minority leader in the House of Delegates, said after the State of the State address.
In response to the Republican Caucus' comments made about the Blueprint, the governor's spokesperson Carter Elliott said:
"Eliminating the Blueprint is not on the table. Governor Moore would encourage the members of the Republican caucus to submit a budget proposal that is reflective of their values and goals–he is more than willing to work with anyone to address the fiscal crisis he inherited…Governor Moore looks forward to continuing conversations with the state legislature and all partners involved to ensure the long term success and sustainability of Maryland's Blueprint for the Future."
"Invest in the future"
Education advocates argue that because the Blueprint is fully funded for two more years, reforms aren't needed to short term spending.
"We know that we're heading into a long-term structural deficit if we stop investing in students and schools and teachers. Now we can't expect them to invest in the future," Gupta said.
