Education - Centreville Spy

House approves Blueprint education bill that rejects most cuts proposed by governor

March 13, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

As expected, the House of Delegates approved an amended, comprehensive education plan Tuesday night that rejected cuts proposed by Gov. Wes Moore (D).

The 100-39 party-line vote sets up a potential showdown with the Senate over the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act. Senate leaders have indicated that, in the face of a projected $3 billion deficit for fiscal 2026, they may be more sympathetic to the governor’s version of the bill to amend the state’s multiyear, costly Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

House Democratic leaders have consistently pushed back against the governor’s plan, saying that any cuts would negatively affect the Blueprint, now in its third year of implementation. But House Ways and Means Committee Chair Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) said after Tuesday night’s floor vote that the House and the governor agree on the goals of the plan, but disagree on how to get there.

“He [Moore] was looking at the Blueprint also as a means to solve budgetary issues, and we did not,” Atterbeary said. “I think in large part we disagreed when it comes to funding. But I think policy wise, we agreed primarily with the governor.”

The debate put House Republicans in the unusual position of defending the governor’s bill against Democratic amendments.

“Didn’t agree with everything in it, but it was a compromise that suggests we can, in future years, account for the realities that we will not have to spend as much we’ll amend, in particular, the collaborative time,” said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany), before voting against the amended House version of the bill.

“I think that we would have been best served to support Gov. Moore’s bill, rather than the bill as amended currently before the House,” he said.

Three Republicans – Dels. Kevin Hornberger (R-Cecil), Susan K. McComas (R-Harford) and Chris Tomlinson (R-Frederick and Carroll) – who signed on as co-sponsors of the previous version from the governor, asked to have their names removed from the amended bill, which opposed.

Some of the proposals in the original bill included a four-year pause in the phase-in of collaborative time for teachers, a freeze in funding for community schools located in low-income neighborhoods and a lower increase in per pupil funding.

Atterbeary’s committee and the Appropriations Committee amended the governor’s bill to restore funding to community schools and to reduce the four-year delay in collaborative time to a one-year pause to give the state’s 24 school systems time to prepare for a fiscal 2027.

The House did keep language from the governor’s version that would allow for the state Department of Education to establish a national teacher recruitment campaign to start in July and end by July 1, 2029. It also kept a $2,000 relocation grant that would be provided to “incentivize an out-of-state licensed teacher to move to the state,” in an effort to reduce the teacher shortage and the number of conditionally licensed teachers.

Administration officials defended their position during a joint hearing last month, saying it would be impractical to institute the increase in collaborative time next school year because it would require the hiring of at least 12,000 teachers at a time when the state and nation face a teacher shortage.

The administration’s proposal sought to hold community school at current levels for the next two years, instead of allowing it to increase as the Blueprint calls for.

On the House floor Tuesday, a few Republicans said the Blueprint plan is a vehicle the state can’t afford right now.

“If this is the Mercedes of education C class, it feels a little bit more like a Pinto that we’re selling for a Mercedes price,” said Del. Lauren Arikan (R-Harford), who voted against the bill.

Meanwhile, the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee — which took part in a joint hearing on the bill last month with the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and the two House panels — could vote on the Senate version of the bill this week.

Senate Majority Leader Nancy King (D-Montgomery), a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee, has said she supports a pause in collaborative time, especially with the teacher shortage in the state. And Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore), a member of the “Triple-E” Committee, has said the Blueprint needs some restructuring that provides more autonomy to local school systems.

Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel), who chairs the Appropriations Committee, told reporters Tuesday night he’s confident the two chambers will find a solution.

“I think it’s because we all share the same values. We want to certainly protect these kids and make sure the funding is there and the policies are there,” he said. “We’ll get to a compromise in the end.”

by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
March 11, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

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Top 10 birds migrating through MD’s Eastern Shore

February 28, 2025 by Washington College News Service Leave a Comment

With spring nearly here, Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory (FBBO), part of Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society (CES), is sharing data and stats from its 27th year of fall migration banding. The 2024 season saw the Observatory continue its long-term monitoring of migratory bird populations thanks to its location on the College’s River and Field Campus (RAFC), an important stopover habitat for shorebirds and home to thousands of migrating and wintering ducks and geese each year. The Observatory continues to be one of the most active bird-banding stations on the East Coast, handling approximately 14,000 birds a year.

Over 11,400 birds were banded this past season, an above-average total. The species total, 117, was slightly below average, however. Teams of student interns, fellows and researchers, led by FBBO’s Associate Director Maren Gimpel, recorded a capture rate of 44.3 birds per 100 net hours for the season. The rate is considered one of the best in recent years. Data from the spring and fall programs is reported to the North American Bird Banding Program.

This Fall’s Top 10 Species Banded:

White-throated Sparrow (2,613)

Song Sparrow (1,273)

Swamp Sparrow (645)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (637)

Gray Catbird (611)

Common Yellowthroat (588

Hermit Thrush (462)

Indigo Bunting (358)

Field Sparrow (258)

Savannah Sparrow/Slate-colored Junco (224 each)

A highlight of this year was capturing a Hooded Merganser, a duck that is common on the lake from fall through early spring, but had somehow, never been snagged by the teams’ nets for the last 27 years. View a video of the duck’s capture and release here.

“It’s pretty uncommon for a songbird operation like ours to catch many waterbirds,” said Gimpel. “So every one of us was delighted to see this species up close. None of us had seen a Hooded Merganser in the hand before.”

Gimpel pointed out that this season was a unique one, with species like Sharp-shinned Hawk, Fox Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Red-eyed Vireo, and Yellow Warbler observed in lower-than-normal numbers. Conversely, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Hermit Thrush were captured in record-high numbers. Overall, the season was a success and Gimpel is looking forward to getting back out to the fields this spring with student researchers.

Testing for Bird Flu in Bald Eagles

As the spring migration season gets underway, Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society is expanding its bird banding operations to include one of the country’s most recognizable birds of prey – the Bald Eagle. David Kramar, Washington Colleges’ River and Field Campus (RAFC) Director, will be trapping the raptors to collect data on the health of the population within the region. In addition, this work will include opportunistically trapping Golden Eagles. While not as prevalent as Bald Eagles on the Eastern Shore, the Golden Eagle does migrate through the area.

Kramar has recently reprised his long-term work with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to band and test eagles across the state for avian flu as well as lead and mercury poisoning. By collecting blood and feather samples from each bird, Kramar hopes to help provide a greater understanding of the spread of avian flu in wild birds of prey. The data is reported to the state as well as the federal government. Soon, he hopes to expand the effort to RAFC as well.

Those interested in a day-by-day recap of all the bird banding fun should check out FBBO’s Instagram page.

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Gunston celebrates Class of 2025 college-bound athletes

January 24, 2025 by The Spy Leave a Comment

The Gunston School is pleased to announce that four members of the class of 2025 have signed their letters of intent to play sports at the college level. (l-r) Alex Bent of Queenstown will be rowing for La Salle University, Aidan Watson of Centreville will be playing lacrosse for SCAD, Riley Walker of Chestertown will be playing lacrosse for Lebanon Valley College, and Grace Shepherd of Church Hill will be playing field hockey for the University of Central Michigan.

The Gunston School is pleased to announce that four members of the class of 2025 have signed their letters of intent to play sports at the college level. At a recent signing ceremony this past Thursday, January 23, students and their families along with coaches and faculty gathered in the Alice R. Ryan Family Library to celebrate their accomplishments. Nationwide, a little over 7% of high school athletes (about 1 in 13) go on to play a varsity sport in college and less than 2% of high school athletes (1 in 57) go on to play at NCAA Division I schools.

Riley Walker of Chestertown, Md. will be playing lacrosse for Lebanon Valley College. While playing lacrosse for Gunston, the team earned back-to-back second place finishes in the ESIAC (Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference) Championships in 2023 and 2024. Coach Millicent Sheets spoke of Walker’s versatility on the field, “We asked a great deal of him—playing midfield, jumping in the goal on EMO [extra man offense], sometimes playing on the field for EMO and running plays on attack. He never balked at anything we asked him to do and he gives 100% all the time at any position.” Walker played in numerous leagues outside of Gunston and even helped to organize a winter indoor league for the school. “By the end of the season, we were depending on him more and more in the goal. Goalie is the hardest position to play and it is very difficult to just jump in the goal at any given moment. In that position, Riley was focused, commanded the defense, and came up with key saves for his team. He finished the season with almost 50 saves which is extremely impressive for only playing about a quarter every game.” Walker plans to study business at Lebanon Valley.

Aidan Watson of Centreville, Md. will be playing lacrosse for Savannah College of Art and Design. Picking up lacrosse in his sophomore year at Gunston, Watson proved to be a quick study. Coach Millicent Sheets recalls, “In ninth grade, Aidan was in my honors geometry class. He was smart, witty, and an impressive artist. Art I knew was in his future, but I did not expect him to turn out to be an aggressive, fierce, and strong long pole defender. Fall of his tenth grade year, Aidan told me he was going to come out for the team. I was thrilled and a little surprised. Aidan turned out to be a quick study of the game, he worked hard to learn how to sub through the box effectively, he learned both man and zone defense, and even played long pole middie on face offs. Playing alongside very seasoned defenders, Aidan had to learn to take direction from his peers and put up with some fierce competition. Over the two years I coached Aidan, he was committed to getting stronger and faster and it really showed by the end of his second season.” Watson will be studying art at SCAD.

Grace Shepherd of Church Hill, Md. will be playing field hockey for the University of Central Michigan. Shepherd played for Gunston all four years, earning ESIAC All-Conference honors in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. She served as one of the captains this year and the team again made it to the ESIAC Championship, earning second place for the third year in a row. In addition to playing for Gunston, Shepherd also plays for Team Chesapeake Shore year-round and has earned multiple awards from the Field Hockey Coaches Association of Maryland (FHCAMD) including All Mid-Shore Team Field Hockey in 2022, 2023 and 2024, All Eastern Shore Team Field Hockey in 2022 and an All State Honorable Mention in 2023. Recently, Shepherd represented Gunston at the 2024-2025 Susan Pusey FHCAMD Senior All-Star Game this past fall. “From her first preseason practice, we could see that Grace was a special player,” said Coach Yvonne Gazelle. “She has had a remarkable career, scoring 29 goals and notching 16 assists. She’s been a dependable player, playing nearly every minute of every game throughout her four years. She’s been a leader, serving as Captain for the 2024 season. She served as an outstanding role model and example to her teammates, arriving early to every practice, being the first to pick up balls and cones after a drill, and the first to offer assistance to players in need.” Shepherd is currently undecided in her course of study at Central Michigan but is leaning toward studying biology.

Alex Bent of Queenstown, Md. will be rowing for La Salle University. Bent rowed for Gunston’s varsity team in 2022 and 2023 before joining the Annapolis Junior Rowing organization. He also competed in the Crash B indoor world championships in 2023, placing third in the Mens U17 2K row. He also was the first Gunston student to compete in the Mid Atlantic Youth Rowing Championships in 2023, placing seventh. Bent’s former rowing coach, Carter Law commented, “Alex has given his all, balancing academics, training, and some serious personal growth, all while demonstrating leadership and perseverance.” Bent has dreams of competing in the Olympics one day. At La Salle, he’ll be studying business administration.

Visit gunston.org for more information.

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Wood Foundation awards $100K grant to Radcliffe Creek School

January 24, 2025 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

: RCS student, Hazel Joiner, learning to spell through hands-on, multisensory instruction

Radcliffe Creek School (RCS) was recently awarded a generous grant from the Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation to support needs-based scholarships for deserving students. The $100k grant award will remove significant financial barriers for area families who struggle to access the school’s individualized educational services, ensuring area children—who have learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD—can receive the academic interventions they rely upon to be successful in the classroom.

Each year, more than half of Radcliffe Creek’s student body receives some form of financial aid to attend the School. This year alone, over $526,000 in assistance has been committed to help families in need whose children learn differently. Head of School, Peter Thayer, explained, “Many of our students haven’t succeeded in traditional learning environments and need the small class sizes, daily interventions and customized instruction we provide here at RCS every day. However, accessing our services can be an enormous challenge for area families, who never expected to send their children to a private school. The generosity of the Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation to provide this substantial support for scholarships will be a life-changing gift for many families. We are profoundly grateful to the Wood Foundation for making a Radcliffe education possible for these children.”

The Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation, established in 2006, supports youth in attending nonprofit and educational institutions that aid in the intellectual, physical and moral development of American students. Through scholarship support, the foundation works to advance learning throughout the United States.

The foundation, based in Annapolis, Maryland, was also the area Kathy and Jerry Wood called “home.” Before their deaths, Jerry founded the Annapolis Sailing School and together, the couple transformed the school into the largest commercial sailing school in the United States. Later, the Woods established the sailboat show and the powerboat show, revolutionizing the boat show industry. For this work, the couple was credited with helping to shape the modern recreational boating industry and build broad recognition for the City of Annapolis as the “Sailing Capital of America.”

As the only K-8 school on Maryland’s Eastern Shore specialized in educating children with learning differences, Radcliffe Creek School (RCS) continues to stand out as a critical resource for area families. RCS students hail from eight counties, from Prince George’s County in Maryland to Sussex County in Delaware. To learn more about the immersive, individualized education program offered at Radcliffe Creek School, visit www.radcliffecreekschool.org or call 410-778-8150.

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Governor’s education bill slows growth of per pupil funding, worrying advocates

January 23, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

A comprehensive education bill unveiled Wednesday by the Moore administration would slow the growth of per pupil spending beginning next year and continuing for the next eight years, raising concerns among advocates and lawmakers.

The reductions begin in fiscal 2026, when the per pupil “foundation” funding was scheduled to grow from $8,789 per student to $9,226; the administration’s bill calls for it to grow next year to $9,063 instead, a reduction in growth of $163 per student.

Instead of growing between 4% and 5% a year for the next eight years, the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act calls for growth from 2% to 3% in the same period.

From fiscal years 2034 through 2037, the per pupil amount would increase by 3.5% each year, ultimately reaching $13,259 per pupil.

Still, the slow-down in growth represents an estimated $234 million less for state schools than was originally forecast, said Mary Pat Fannon, executive director of the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland. The revised level of funding “is not a historic investment,” she said.

“Funding matters for student achievement,” Fannon said. “We need to advocate and explain that you do need funding in order to get the outcomes that you’re expecting.”

Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel), chair of the Appropriations Committee, said lawmakers are aware of the change in per pupil spending, which he said will likely cause problems in the House.

“That’s something we’re very aware of. I don’t think you’ll see that coming out of the House. Just put it that way,” Barnes said.

When asked to comment on the revised number, a spokesperson for Gov. Wes Moore (D) pointed to a prepared statement released Tuesday, in which the governor was quoted as saying that the state will still work toward the goals of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s 10-year education reform plan, but that it must do so “while making it fit our current needs and realities in a post-pandemic environment.”

“Through the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, we propose strategic investments designed to lay out the foundation for effective implementation of key components of the Blueprint, including recruiting and supporting educators and building partnerships between schools and communities,” the Tuesday statement said.

The bill, House Bill 504, was just part of the discussion at Wednesday’s briefing on the status of the Blueprint for the House Appropriations and House Ways and Means committees, at a time when the state is struggling with a budget deficit that is projected to be close to $3 billion in fiscal 2026.

Moore has proposed closing that gap with a combination of increased revenues and budget reductions next year, but he and legislative leaders have said the education reform plan is fully funded for the next two years.

One goal of the Blueprint is to increase the teacher pipeline, which is also an element touched on in the administration’s bill.

With more than half of the state’s teachers coming from other states, according to the state Department of Education, one part of the bill calls for an interstate teacher mobility compact, to let Maryland enter into agreements with other states that have comparable licensing standards and accept teaching credentials from those states. The bill also proposes supporting relocation of eligible military spouses.

The state teachers’ union agrees with that part of the plan. Maryland State Education Association Vice President Nikki Woodward said a few states with student populations and curriculums similar to Maryland include Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.

“We unfortunately do not graduate enough students from our education programs across the state,” Woodward said in an interview after the briefing. “This allows for an easier transition for educators to come into the state and immediately begin to receive their licensure, to begin working.”

The bill would allow the department to start a national teacher recruitment campaign “to bring licensed and prospective teachers to the state” that includes up to $2,000 in relocation costs. If approved, that campaign would start July 1 and run through July 2029.

Other provisions

The governor’s proposal is slated to go before the Senate Budget and Taxation and Education, Energy, and the Environment committees. No bill hearing has been scheduled. A joint hearing on the House version before Appropriations and Ways and Means could be held next month.

Some of the other items in the bill include allowing school officials to apply for grants, beginning next year, to fund expanded “collaborative time” for teachers. That is time outside of class that teachers use for training, analyzing student data, identifying students who may need help and spending time, one on one or in groups, to get students back on track.

The Blueprint plan calls for collaborative time to be expanded from the current 20% of a teacher’s workday to 40% within the next eight years. But that proposal has run up against the state’s current teacher shortage: In order to start expanding collaborative time next school year, the state would need up to 15,000 more teachers. The number doesn’t account for the 6,000 current teachers who are conditionally approved.

“The purpose of the grant is to provide funds to establish innovative models that can be replicated for teacher collaboration at the school or local school system level that improve teacher retention and student learning,” according to the bill’s language. Initial awards for the $48 million program would start to be distributed March 1, 2026.

The bill also proposes a school system training program and school leadership academy.

The 12-month training program would be for high-ranking school officials, such as the state and local superintendents and school board chairs and vice chairs.

Some of the work would include reviewing data and other education information from top-performing school systems in this country and others, researching the benefits of high-quality and diverse teachers and implementing career ladders for teachers.

A leadership academy would target those who seek to remain or become school principals or other school-based leaders. This academy would also last 12 months and include work on data-informed instruction, utilize teachers on the career ladder and strategies for peer mentorship.

State Board of Education President Joshua Michael said this week the governor’s proposal would provide a $134 million investment to boost the state’s Grow Your Own teacher initiative. He said Wednesday that initiative will help with the Blueprint plan “to deepen and strengthen our teacher pipeline.”

“We stand deeply committed to the promise and vision of the Blueprint,” Michael said to the House committees. “The Blueprint is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity and represents our nation’s biggest bet on public education.”

William “Brit” Kirwan, vice chair of the Accountability and Implementation Board that oversees the 10-year Blueprint plan, had a few words for any concerns about its future: “Keep the faith. We’re going to get there.”

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Morgan State professor fined for presenting himself as licensed architect

December 18, 2024 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

The Baltimore Banner reported yesterday that Professor Dale Glenwood Green at Morgan State University was not a licensed architect and had forged his credentials. Green is well known for his work on the historic Hill neighborhood in Easton.

Read the full story here.

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Slight increases on Maryland’s annual report card, but changes could be coming

December 6, 2024 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Maryland’s 1,303 public schools saw slight gains on the state Department of Education’s annual report card, which rates schools on measures including academic achievement, school quality and progress in English language proficiency.

The report card, released this week, grades schools on a scale of one to five stars, with five stars going to schools that earn a score of at least 75% on a formula that measures overall school performance. The report said 91 schools earned five-star status in the 2023-24 school year, up from 85 schools the year before.

About 41% of schools received a four- or five-star rating last year, compared with 38% in the 2022-23 school year.

Twenty Baltimore County schools earned five stars on this year’s report card, the most of any county. The county’s Eastern Technical High School received the most points in the state with 91, edging out the Academy of Health and Sciences at Prince George’s Community College and its 90.7 points.

Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Myriam Rogers said the county’s broad gains are “are evidence of the effectiveness of the targeted and comprehensive resources and supports we put in place to fast-forward student achievement.”

“We are encouraged by the growth our schools are making on key markers of progress and achievement,” Rogers wrote in a message to the school community. “We will continue to use multiple and frequent measures to evaluate student progress and assess where we need to intensify efforts to meet the needs of our students and bolster achievement.”

Montgomery County, the state’s largest school system, had the second-most five-star schools at 18, and about half of its schools scored either four or five stars. But the school system called the overall performance “disappointingly flat” in a statement, with schools receiving at least three stars increasing by less than 1%.

Approximately nine of Worcester County’s 11 schools received a four-star rating, in which schools scored at least 60 out of 100 points on the grading formula. Ocean City Elementary received five stars and Pocomoke Middle three stars.

“I continue to be in awe of our schools’ positive trajectory in Maryland’s accountability system,” Worcester County Superintendent Louis H. Taylor said in a statement. “Worcester continues to outperform our counterparts across the State, and today’s [Dec. 3] release is just another example of how we are delivering dividends on the investment our community has made in our educational system.”

The state began the star system in 2018 in response to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. The state released a second report card in 2019, but the reports were suspended in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although 83% of schools recorded at least three stars in the latest report card, compared with 80% in the previous report card, there could be changes to assess overall performance.

Superintendent Carey Wright announced in April the creation of a task force to assess student achievement after disappointing scores on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, the state’s standardized tests known as MCAP. At the time of her announcement, only 47% of students in third through eighth grades scored “proficient” in English language arts and nearly 25% in math.

With the current MCAP contract set to expire in December 2026, Wright said at Tuesday’s State Board of Education meeting that it’s time to either search for a new assessment vendor, or retain the same vendor “with new requirements.”

“There were a lot of questions that were being raised about the assessment itself,” Wright said. “I’m a firm believer in accountability, always have been. This task force moved with a great deal of speed to get this done.”

The task force presented a report Tuesday with options that include revising the current ratings system, creating a system that meets federal requirements and reflects state priorities, and refining the framework on career and college readiness, which is one of the priorities in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan.

“We reject the theory of action that simply reporting information and hoping that people make good decisions is complete,” said Chris Domaleski, the task force facilitator and associate director of the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment based in New Hampshire. “We think a more appropriate theory of action is that these systems integrate with the kinds of treatments that change curriculum, instruction and support that really uplift students in the state.”

The board voted to accept the report and continue to review it and assess any possible future changes.

by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
December 5, 2024

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Radcliffe Creek School awarded grant to support students with ADHD and anxiety

November 20, 2024 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

RCS students Addison and Emma using Sensory Resource items during instruction time with Mrs. Simon, English and Orton-Gillingham Teacher at Radcliffe Creek School.

Radcliffe Creek School (RCS) was recently awarded a grant from the Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Committee (QACMHC) to provide the School’s faculty and parent community with resources to support students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and anxiety in the classroom and at home. This grant will fund a new Sensory Resource Room at RCS, expand the School’s Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Library, continue the SEL program for older students, as well as support a full day of training with parents and teachers on ways to support mental health in neurodivergent children.

The new Sensory Resource Room at RCS will be filled with tools and equipment for teachers to check out for their classrooms as needed, helping students calm and regulate their sensory systems. When a child is in a heightened state due to an issue like anxiety, it can interfere with a student’s ability to be present in the classroom setting. Depending upon whether a child’s body is overly sensitive to sensory stimuli or seeking more sensory input, this equipment will help students regulate their bodies to be more available for learning. Debbie Cohee-Wright, a special education learning specialist at RCS, explained, “At Radcliffe Creek School, we recognize the needs of our students and how sensory integration will enhance their learning experience based off their own individual needs and strengths. The new Sensory Resource Room will enable our teachers to have the appropriate tools at their fingertips for ease and accessibility throughout their day.”

Equipment in the Sensory Resource Room will include noise-canceling headphones, weighted lap and shoulder pads, indoor hanging sensory chairs, bean bags, chair bands, fidgets, white noise machines and sound-absorbing wall panels. The integration of these resources will support students by addressing their fine motor skills, gross motor skills, social skills, cognition and play skills.

Additionally, this grant will allow the expansion of the School’s SEL library and continued SEL curriculum for older students, as well as a speaking event to be hosted for RCS parents and teachers in early 2025 with Dr. Vincent Culotta, an expert in mental health and neurodivergent children. Head of School Peter Thayer explained, “We remain grateful to QACMHC for their continued support of our school and for making these important educational and therapeutic mental health resources available to our parents, faculty and students.”

This is the second year in a row that QACMHC has awarded a grant to Radcliffe Creek School. “The Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Committee is excited to see Radcliffe Creek School utilizing the grant funds from us to reach the goal of maintaining their social-emotional learning program “Brain Talk” as well as faculty training, supplying the sensory room, and adding to their social-emotional learning library,” stated QACMHC President, Kelly Phipps. “The scheduled visit of Dr. Vincent Culotta to train faculty in helping students with ADHD and anxiety in the classroom will further enrich Radcliffe Creek’s program. The committee is proud to be a part of the school’s dedication in educating their students on achieving and maintaining sound, positive mental health.”

To learn more about the immersive, individualized education program offered at Radcliffe Creek School, as well as the school’s robust transportation program, visit www.radcliffecreekschool.org online or call 410-778-8150.

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Lights Out Alert for Maryland: Help Migrating Birds Find Their Way (28k+ birds over Baltimore)

October 10, 2024 by Washington College News Service Leave a Comment

As millions of birds embark on their annual migration this fall, regional bird experts at Washington College’s Center for the Environment and Society are urging residents to participate in a Lights Out Alert to help protect these feathered friends tonight.

On Thursday October 10, an estimated 3.6 million birds will make their way over the state of Maryland. The highest concentration of birds will be going over the Baltimore region, with an estimated 28.6 million of our feathered friends making their way overhead.

Residents are urged to turn off their lights during the evening hours to help aid the birds in a safe journey. This includes porch lights, those in office buildings, flood lights in yards, and strings of cafe lights. The goal is to reduce the light pollution so that the birds flying overhead can find their way.

“Billions of birds make an epic migration south every fall, and the trip is strenuous even under ideal conditions,” says Maren Gimpel, associate director of Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory at Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society. “Birds that migrate at night can become confused and get off track by artificial light as they fly over our towns and cities. Turning your lights out at night – at home and at your office – is a simple act we can do to help our feathered friends make this trip safely.”

During migration, artificial light can disorient birds, causing them to collide with buildings and other structures. A study by Aeroecology Lab suggests that light pollution can have a significant impact on bird migration patterns. By turning off unnecessary lights at night, we can create a safer environment for these incredible creatures.

To participate in the Lights Out Alert, simply turn off your outdoor and office lights during the nighttime hours this evening. This simple act can make a significant difference in the survival of migrating birds.

About Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory

Located on the Chester River, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory is nestled in a waterfront refuge on Washington College’s River and Field Campus. The Observatory’s primary research focuses on monitoring the seasonal movements of migratory birds between their breeding and wintering areas. By placing uniquely numbered aluminum bands on birds, the team can monitor population trends, document migratory pathways, and track the productivity of local breeding birds.

Data from the spring and fall programs has been used to chart the timing of migration of many species of songbirds moving through the Eastern Shore of Maryland and is reported to the North American Bird Banding Program.

You can follow Gimpel and her team’s banding adventures on Instagram at instagram.com/foremansbranch.

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Prekindergarten Expansion For Private Providers Off To A Slow Start

September 25, 2024 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Shayna Cook, left, assistant state superintendent in the state Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood, gives a presentation on prekindergarten expansion. Sitting next to Cook is Tara Phillips, executive director of operations, policy and strategy in the early childhood division. Photo by William J. Ford

One of the requirements for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future 10-year education reform plan was to expand prekindergarten, but it’s off to a slow start.

None of the state’s 24 school districts came anywhere close in the past two school years to the Blueprint’s requirement that at least 30% of pre-K students should be in privately run facilities, according to data presented Tuesday to the state Board of Education.

Because no one reached the mark, it was lowered to 10% for this school year, a level that only four counties were able to achieve last year.

The Blueprint plan requires school districts to provide a mixed-delivery system, serving young students in both public and private child care centers. But local school districts said in Blueprint plans that some private providers find it challenging to participate in the state’s prekindergarten expansion due to lack of space, finding qualified personnel and other challenges.

However, state Department of Education officials said Tuesday that the state is actually moving faster on pre-K when compared to other states.

One benchmark is allowing families earning incomes at or below the 300% federal poverty level, said Shayna Cook, assistant state superintendent in the department’s Division of Early Childhood. Cook said other states chose 100% or 200% of the federal poverty level.

And the 31,873 students enrolled in pre-K in the 2022-23 school year — 30,718 public and 1,155 private — grew to nearly 33,000 in the 2023-24 school year, with 31,381 in public and in 1,601 private facilities.

“This growth demonstrates the state’s commitment to expanding access to quality pre-K education and reflects efforts to begin to lay the foundation for the mixed delivery system,” Cook said.

Even with that increase of slightly more than 1,100 more seats added, nine of the state’s 24 jurisdictions had zero private providers to begin the 2022-23 school year.

Only Howard and Worcester counties were able to record double-digit percentage of private providers that year, with 14% and 13%, respectively. Howard County’s share was unchanged last year, but Worcester County’s percentage of private providers rose to 18% last year.

After being in single digits in the 2022-23 school year, Carroll and Wicomico counties exceeded double figures last school year at 12% and 11%, respectively.

Five counties still had no private providers last school year: Garrett, Kent, St. Mary’s, Somerset and Talbot counties.

Cook said there remains a lack of communication between private providers and local school districts.

One plan is for the department to promote its “Push to Pre-K Initiative,” which provides technical assistance on the prekindergarten expansion program. In addition, providers can also receive grants to help expand their business.

State Superintendent Carey Wright said during a briefing with reporters Tuesday that it’s difficult to “get a business off the ground,” especially in rural counties.

“Reach out to us. We’re here to help,” she said to private pre-K providers. “We can help you as much as we possibly can to get your feet on the ground. That’s the resource that we bring, so use us.”

More time needed

The board deferred action Tuesday on a controversial literacy policy that could result in third-graders being held back if they do not meet reading standards.

One reason for the delay was the presence of three new board members participating in their first meeting – Kenny Clash, Kimberly Lewis and Xiomara V. Medina. A decision on the policy will how be pushed back for at least another month.

“We decided that it was better for us to take more time to consider this policy, to give our new members an opportunity to get up to speed [and] take into account the best feedback we’ve received from stakeholders that’s guiding our additional development,” said board President Joshua Michael.

But reading intervention and other literacy programs would start in kindergarten for students who need additional support.

A few minor changes that could be made include an emphasis on local school district control with guidance from the department and to ensure support for all students in kindergarten through third grade.

“What was initially in the media as a retention policy is not a retention policy. It is really a parent-choice policy,” Wright said Tuesday. “It is not a finger-pointing exercise. It’s the ability for us to see what schools need the most help.”

Medina, an associate director of clinical training and field placement at Bowie State University’s Department of Counseling and Psychological Studies, said she would like the policy to reflect more cultural awareness.

“This whole thing has reduced our children to numbers. There’s not a single cultural consideration you’ve told me,” she said after state officials completed a brief summary of the policy. “I’m missing people in all of this.”

If approved, the policy wouldn’t be implemented until next school year. However, the retention portions wouldn’t begin until the 2026-27 school year.

Nikki Woodward, vice president of the Maryland State Education Association, said the union recommends delaying implementation of the entire policy until the start of the 2028-29 school year.

“This timeline allows for adequate training of educators and families on new curriculum and requirements,” she said to the board. “It also ensures enough time for data collection and tracking the success of interventions.”

by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
September 25, 2024

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