2017 and 2018: Why They Matter So Much to Public Education
Lawmakers, educators, parents, and communities must stand up now for public schools
Most school boards continue to ignore the high costs of over-testing. Knowing this, can we build on last year’s momentum and pass a 2% cap on the amount of instructional time used for standardized testing?
Will the legislature have the will to block Governor Hogan’s proposal to double tax dollars spent on private school vouchers — a scheme we know supports families who already send their kids to private schools?
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is currently rewriting its draft plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). MSEA members must weigh in and help define what successful schools look like.
Will ESSA be used to limit class size and caseload ratios and enrich curriculum? Or will ESSA serve the State Board’s approach and throw failing schools and communities to the wolves by privatizing or forcibly converting them to for-profit charter operations?
Then there’s the Kirwan Commission — independent analysts kicked off the commission’s proceedings with news that existing funding levels fall $2.9 billion short of meeting our schools’ needs. Those funds could help shrink class sizes, lower case- loads and ratios, improve mentoring and new educator support, and better fund your contract. In December of 2017, you can expect to see commission recommendations for a new school funding system that could revolutionize the resources available to educators.
In the 2018 General Assembly session, will the governor and legislature have the political will to fund the commission’s recommendations that will define public education funding in our state for decades?
And finally, the 2018 election. The governor’s office, every seat in the State House, and scores of school board and county government races are on the ballot. We must elect pro-public education champions at every level — leaders who get the importance of the work we do and the challenges we face. This is a critical 22-month journey. Are you ready?
