Education - Chestertown Spy

Manassas Native Wins $74k Sophie Kerr Prize from Washington College

May 17, 2025 by Washington College News Service Leave a Comment

Sky Abruzzo

Sky Abruzzo has been named the winner of the 2025 Sophie Kerr Prize, an annual literary award bestowed upon a graduating senior at Washington College. The announcement was made at a ceremony this evening, following readings by six finalists. Now in its 58th year, the prize continues to be the nation’s largest literary award for a college student and totals more than the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award combined. This year’s prize totaled just over $74,000.

Abruzzo, an English major with minors in Creative Writing and Journalism, Editing, and Publishing, hails from Manassas, Virginia. She attended Charles J Colgan Sr. High School and has been serving as a senior editor at Spiteful Books since 2022.

Abruzzo’s winning portfolio showcased creative and reflective writings exploring the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. She read several logs she wrote about a plant she recently monitored over several months, a tribute to a magnolia dubbed Ruby Meryl. “Sky’s portfolio demonstrates her incredible ear for language, eye for imagery, and taste for editing,” said Courtney Rydel, associate professor o

f English and chair of the English department at Washington College, who was part of judging panel. “Her sense of judgment is beyond her years, and her portfolio surprised us in the best of ways, as a gorgeous flowering of her potential for literary achievement.”

Among her many thanks to her professors and fellow finalists upon winning, she closed with a thanks to her parents who “made her great.”

A proud tradition of Washington College’s liberal arts education, the Sophie Kerr Prize is named for an early 20th century writer from the Eastern Shore of Maryland who published more than 20 novels and hundreds of short stories. In her will, Kerr left a generous bequest to the College with the stipulation that half of its annual proceeds fund a literary prize for a student.

Open to all Washington College students from any major, the prize is awarded each year to the graduating senior who has the best ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor. In the past, it has been awarded for both creative and critical writing alike. A full list of Sophie Kerr Prize winners since its inception in 1968 is available online.

In addition to the life-changing literary award, the support made possible by Sophie Kerr’s gift continues to fund experiences and offerings for Washington College students throughout the academic year. For more than 50 years the endowment has brought many of the nation’s top writers, editors, and scholars to Washington’s campus including Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Pinsky, Edward Albee, Joseph Brodsky, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, James McBride, Eamon Grennan, Charles Simic, and Jane Smiley. Funding scholarships and internships and enabling research in literature, writing, and publishing, round out the impressive impact made possible by the Sophie Kerr legacy.

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ABC News’ Jonathan Karl to Deliver Washington College Commencement Address

May 14, 2025 by Washington College News Service Leave a Comment

Jonathan Karl, Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and co-anchor of “This Week” ( ABC/ HEIDI GUTMAN

Jonathan Karl, the Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and co-anchor of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” will address Washington College’s 2025 graduating class at their commencement ceremony in Chestertown, Maryland this spring. The event is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2025.

A highly respected journalist with extensive experience covering U.S. politics, foreign policy, and the military, Karl has reported from over 30 countries and received numerous prestigious accolades, including an Emmy® Award for coverage of President Barack Obama’s 2009 Inauguration and is a two-time recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award. A former President of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Karl also served as ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent from 2012 to 2021. He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers including “Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party,” “Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show” and “Front Row at the Trump Show.” His forthcoming book, “Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America” will be published October 28.

During his career, Karl has covered four presidential administrations and seven presidential elections, securing significant early interviews with such political figures as Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2016 cycle. Prior to his current role, he served as ABC’s senior political correspondent and earlier as a tenacious foreign affairs correspondent, traveling globally with Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. His impactful reporting on the Darfur crisis earned him an Emmy® nomination. Beyond politics, Karl has conducted notable interviews with cultural icons such as Sir Elton John and the Dalai Lama.

“It’s a high honor to deliver the commencement address at Washington College,” said Karl. “I look forward to meeting the graduates and their families and spending time at an institution that holds the core values as its founding patron, George Washington.”

The decorated journalist went on to say that this ceremony holds special meaning to him as his older brother is a proud graduate of Washington College. “I have fond memories of visiting the campus many years ago,” he said.

Details regarding the 2025 Commencement ceremony can be found at https://www.washcoll.edu/campus-events/commencement/index.php.

Karl’s career highlights and most recent reporting can be found at https://abcnews.go.com/author/jonathan_karl.

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Six Students Vie For Washington College’s $74k Sophie Kerr Prize

May 14, 2025 by Washington College News Service Leave a Comment

On stairs, left to right: B.Odell, E.Merk, R.Dauber, L.Verlaque
Standing, left to right: S.Abruzzo, N.Martinaitis

Washington College has named six students to its short list for the 2025 Sophie Kerr Prize, which is valued at just over $74,000 this year. Now in its 58^th year, the prize continues to be the nation’s largest literary award for a college student and totals more than the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award combined. The winner will be announced at a ceremony this Friday, May 16, after the finalists all read from their work. The announcement will be livestreamed on YouTube.

Courtney Rydel, associate professor of English and chair of the English department, announced the graduating seniors vying for this year’s prize. They hail from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and California. Their portfolios included examinations of what creates a sense of self and explorations of gender expectations and womanhood and span poetry, prose, essays, short stories, excerpts from novels, and more.

The 2025 Sophie Kerr Award finalists are:

Sky Abruzzo, an English major with minors in Creative Writing and Journalism, Editing and Publishing from Manassas, Virgina.

Riley Dauber, an English major with minors in Creative Writing; Journalism, Editing and Publishing; and Communications and Media Studies from West Reading, Pennsylvania.

Natalie Martinaitis, an English major with minors in Creative Writing and Journalism, Editing and Publishing from Columbia, Maryland. Martinaitis had a novel published in her junior year.

Evan Merk, a Biology and Environmental Science major from Fort Washington, MD.

Brionna Odell, an English major from Baltimore, Maryland.

Lucy Verlaque, an English major with minors in c Creative Writing and Journalism, Editing and Publishing; and Gender Studies from Santa Clarita, California.

“Everyone who submits a portfolio for the Sophie Kerr Prize shows courage, in allowing others to scrutinize the work they hold so dear,” said Rydel. “It further takes incredible talent, persistence, and aesthetic insight to produce writing on the level that these finalists have created. We look forward to hearing them share their exciting and original work in the reading in Friday’s prize ceremony.”

Portfolios submitted for consideration encompass the full range of writing that students pursue at Washington College, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenplays and drama, journalism, editing, scholarly criticism, and research in all disciplines, and even song lyrics. A committee comprising full-time faculty in the English Department and the President review and make the final decision. Winners are chosen for their literary excellence, regardless of genre.

The winner will be announced at Friday night’s award ceremony at 7:30 p.m. EST in Hotchkiss Recital Hall at Washington College’s Gibson Center for the Arts. The ceremony is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

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‘Blueprint’ Bill That Avoids Some of the Most Severe Education Cuts is Signed into Law

May 7, 2025 by Maryland Matters 2 Comments

Even as changes to the state’s education reform act were being signed into law Tuesday, state officials and advocates were already talking about changes they want to see next in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

The debate over House Bill 504 – the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act – was among the sharpest in the 2025 General Assembly session, with the governor and lawmakers, particularly the House, split over changes to the expensive plan that were needed as the state grappled with a $3 billion budget deficit.

But Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Tuesday, standing next to Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County), thanked them, several lawmakers and education officials for their work on the bill, which passed on the last day of the 90-day session last month.

“While this legislation is an important step forward, it cannot be the last step that we take on education,” Moore said at Tuesday’s bill signing ceremony. “While we refine our strategy to ensure we aren’t just spending more, but that we’re spending smart, I will continue to use every option available to me as governor to improve our schools and deliver for our students.”

The final bill did not contain some of the deepest cuts that were offered to try rein in spending on the 10-year, multibillion-dollar Blueprint plan. But it also did not include some of the flexibility for local schools boards that some administrators had been pushing for.

State Board of Education President Joshua Michael, who attended the bill signing ceremony, said the governor and legislature helped to improve the Blueprint plan through their negotiations. But Michael said it would have helped if they had included funding for a teacher coaching program, a recommendation made by a nonprofit’s report last month on reading.

“We’re pleased that the legislature authorized the program, but we need resources,” Michael said. “We’re going to continue to press forward with the tools that we have around the literacy policy and the math policy, and we’re going to work with the legislature and the governor to see what we can do in the future.”

Moore in January proposed a Blueprint reform plan that called for a four-year pause in the expansion of teacher “collaborative time” – hours when teachers are not in the classroom but are planning for meeting. State education leaders have said at least 12,000 new teachers would have to be hired to fully implement collaborative time. The governor also proposed a decrease in funding for special education, low-income and English language learners, and keeping funding for community schools – those that receive concentration of poverty grants – at current levels for two years.

Lawmakers pushed back hard against reductions in funding that would affect those students in most need. Legislators were ultimately able to preserve most of the funding for students in need, and advocates praised lawmakers like Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) for not backing down over funding for underserved students.

Atterbeary, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee that assesses education policy, said Tuesday the legislature may need to assess education funding in the near future, especially “with the climate” in the federal government led by President Donald Trump (R).

“Why should we say to our most underserved communities, to our minority communities that at the national level when our president is saying, ‘We don’t care about you,’ and WE’RE going to double down and cut their funding. No. Absolutely not,” said Atterbeary, who didn’t attend Tuesday’s ceremony.

“I couldn’t do that as a mother. I couldn’t do that as a woman. I couldn’t do that as an African American and I absolutely couldn’t do it as a legislator,” she said. “Ultimately, the legislation in terms of that aspect passed as we wanted.”

‘Give faith’

Advocates such as Riya Gupta remain pleased the Blueprint bill passed, but she said more money is needed for mental health, behavioral and other wraparound services for students in the upcoming 2025-26 school year.

Under the Consortium on Coordinated Supports, which is part of the Blueprint plan, the governor proposed to fund those services at $130 million for next fiscal year. The House proposed just $40 million, but ultimately Senate language was adopted that allocated $70 million next year and $100 million a year thereafter.

Gupta, interim director for the advocacy group Strong Schools Maryland, which focuses on protecting the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, said Monday that the state cannot make a habit of analyzing Blueprint funding, as it did this year.

She also said parents, students, advocates and community leaders should be given ample opportunities to become involved in any policy discussions for next year’s legislative session.

“We have to bring them to the table,” she said. “We have to give the faith to listen to their ideas that are also in line with the vision of the Blueprint.”

Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore), who voted against the bill last month, agrees more local input is needed. Carozza said she will continue to push for recommendations offered in December by a superintendent’s association.

Several of the association’s proposals became legislation sponsored by Sen. Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick), and later amendments offered by Carozza, but none of the proposals advanced beyond a Senate committee.

“There were too many missed opportunities to do more on Blueprint revisions and to give our local school systems the flexibility they need…” Carozza said Monday.

Carozza and other Republican lawmakers expressed concerns about future funding for the multibillion-dollar plan, now in its third year. Some have said future budgets will not only affect school systems, but also county governments, which may not be able to pay for increases in transportation, special education or other programs.

Although the Blueprint is funded in the next two years, the subsequent years are slated to shift to the state’s general fund with projected deficits up to $3 billion by fiscal 2030.

“Which translates to new and even bigger taxes,” Carozza said. “We cannot move forward with the Blueprint by doing major cost shifts to the counties.”

by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
May 7, 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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Nonprofit’s report calls for broad-based approach to improving reading scores

April 16, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Alice Tickler tries to stay positive when it comes to educating young children, but the longtime teacher admits there are some things that can make it hard — and it’s not anything the students do.

Things like the legislature’s failure to fund a training program, specifically for reading and math teachers. As a teacher for 28 years, she’s seen the benefits of what educators call a “coaching program.”

“Seeing other teachers in action, having a mentor teacher that knows how to teach reading alongside of you or coaching you, that’s huge,” said Tickler, a first-grade teacher in Queen Anne’s County public schools. “That coaching model would really benefit teachers.”

Tickler’s comments echo recommendations in a report being released Tuesday morning by Maryland READS, a nonprofit focused on the improvement of reading instruction. Providing consistent funding for teachers is just one of the recommendations in “The State of Reading in Maryland 2025: It’s Time for a Comeback after a Decade of Decline.”

While the General Assembly approved the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act last week without funding for a training program, it did approve funding for a national teacher recruitment campaign and a $2,000 relocation grant to “incentivize an out-of-state licensed teacher to move to the state.”

The report’s not all about funding, however, and acknowledges the state’s financial difficulties. Similar to a report produced last year, Tuesday’s document outlines recommendations to improve literacy, such as businesses providing employees time to serve as local tutors, and state and local leaders organizing town halls on digital education for families.

Because of the state’s fiscal challenges, the report suggests philanthropists provide financial and other resources to help create “thriving, reading ecosystems.”

According to the report, per pupil spending increased by 37% since 2013 through last year. During that time, National Assessment of Educational Progress math scores have constantly declined.

“Everything the state has done to put a system of support in place … gives us hope,” Trish Brennan-Gac, executive director of Maryland READS, said in an interview. “But I think the legislature needs to get on board a little bit more and trust her [State Superintendent Carey Wright] leadership because she has a proven track record, and I don’t think they did that this time around.”

‘Make sure children can read’

Tuesday’s document notes a report last year from the National Council on Teacher Quality. It gave Maryland and 19 other states an overall “moderate” rating on teacher training programs based on five policy actions to strengthen implementation of the “science of reading,” which Wright utilized as public schools leader in Mississippi and pushed to incorporate in Maryland.

The council gave three ratings – strong, moderate and weak – not only for the total assessment of training programs, but also separate reviews of each policy action. On the policy statement, “Reviews teacher-preparation programs to ensure they teach the Science of Reading,” Maryland received a “weak” rating.

Maryland READS recommends the state Department of Education “should immediately exercise authority, including limiting grants and contracts, and hold Maryland teacher preparation programs accountable for aligning to Science of Reading by 2028.”

According to the report, what will help teachers with literacy instruction is an agreement the department made last year to implement a four-year, $6.8 million grant from the nonprofit Ibis Group of Washington, D.C.

About $5.3 million of that grant will be used for free online training in the science of reading for at least 30,000 paraprofessionals, teachers and other staff. The remaining $1.5 million would be for Johns Hopkins University and the department to research the impact of teacher efficacy, teacher background knowledge and literacy.

But Brennan-Gac said additional and consistent support is needed.

“Having a coach in the classroom actually helps the teacher change their practice,” Brennan-Gac said. “While it’s wonderful that we’ve brought these training programs into the state, [but] if they don’t get the coaching, we’re not really leveraging that wonderful resource we have and this whole movement that we’re doing.”

Some other recommendations from the report to improve literacy include:

Starting July 1, the department should collaborate with educators and organizations to begin work on drafting an adolescent literacy policy;The legislature should tie future funding to data related to proficiency rates at community schools, those that receive high concentration of poverty grants which provide a variety of wraparound and other services; andState, local and community leaders should educate parents and guardians on limiting the use of electronic devices for their children.

“We should do everything that we can to make sure that our children can read,” said Tickler, who serves on a statewide teacher advisory council created by the department this year. “We don’t want our children to enter that pipeline that takes them to jail or drugs. We want our kids to be successful and we want our kids to be literate.”

by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
April 15, 2025

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Community invited to Washington College PoliTalks with Hon. Heather Mizeur

April 10, 2025 by James Dissette 2 Comments

Washington College’s own student-led organization, PoliTalks, invites the community to an engaging evening of dialogue and connection at their upcoming event, “Disagreement is Democratic: Inviting Everyone to the Table,” featuring the Honorable Heather Mizeur.

This special lecture and discussion filled community dinner offers an opportunity for engagement on the importance of dialogue and political discourse in democracy. Join us on Thursday, April 24, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Hynson Lounge on Washington’s campus. This event is free and open to the public but advance registration is required to attend.

A former state delegate and candidate for Congress, CEO and Founder of WeAreOne Alliance, and Eastern Shore citizen and farmer, Mizeur brings with her a wealth of experience in bipartisan spaces. Following her talk, attendees will have the unique opportunity to participate in facilitated “table topics” discussions over a shared meal, centered around the crucial themes of navigating political chaos while staying true to personal values, understanding the enduring relevance of bipartisanship, and exploring how local initiatives can indeed influence national policy.

With this event, PoliTalks, which is dedicated to fostering civil discourse and engagement in political issues through lectures, discussions, and interactive events, is reaching out to those who may still feel politically frustrated or are unsure of how to lessen political divides. The event serves as a vital opportunity for Washington College students, faculty, staff, and members of the wider community to connect, build understanding across different viewpoints, and work towards shared goals in an increasingly complex political landscape.

“We founded PoliTalks on the belief that students deserve a safe and respectful forum for political education and conversation,” said Stephen Hook ‘25, co-founder of PoliTalks, on the decision to bring Mizeur to Washington. “Heather’s message of civility and collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission.”

The Washington College Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and The Holstein Program in Ethics have provided support of this event.

Washington College is located at 300 Washington Avenue in Chestertown, MD. A map of Washington College’s campus is available online.

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WC launches updated Diversity website pages By Heather Fabritz

April 7, 2025 by Spy Desk 1 Comment

At The Chestertown Spy, we believe in the power of the written word to bear witness, to provoke thought, and to strengthen the bridge between generations. In this spirit, we are proud to introduce a new series of contributions from student journalists at Washington College—voices that carry the urgency and clarity of youth in uncertain times. Their experiences, reflections, and reportage are vital to understanding how national policies ripple through small communities, classrooms, and lives.

After Washington College scrubbed all references to diversity, equity, and inclusion from its public-facing websites under pressure from the U.S. Department of Education, President Dr. Mike Sosulski announced that the College would be re-launching those pages with expansions.

In the email sent on March 26, he stated that the new version includes both WC’s diversity statement and a link to the recently adopted Washington Principles of Free Expression.

According to prior Elm coverage, the latter document uses the diversity statement as one of its foundational guides, ensuring that students respect each other even when they may have differing beliefs.

“Together, our values respecting diversity and free expression constitute the foundation of the WC liberal arts education and prepare our students to become citizen leaders,” President Sosulski said. “We are happy to launch this new site as a demonstration of our community’s beliefs, values, and standards.”

Although the recent orders from the Department of Education compelled the College to remove the pages temporarily, President Sosulski assured the campus that the administration’s commitment to publicly displaying diversity efforts remains strong.

“We believe in recognizing, respecting, and supporting individuals for who they are regardless of how they identify,” President Sosulski said. “The new Diversity and Free Expression at Washington College web pages make clear the strong support for our community and serve to inform others of our campus values.”

The webpage also features links to related resources, including Intercultural Affairs, affinity groups, disability services, and LGBTQ+ and religious resources.

Photo by Selena Francese. President Sosulski announced the new DEI website pages at a Q&A event on March 25.

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Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow Open to the Public at Washington College

April 1, 2025 by Washington College News Service Leave a Comment

Business minded residents of the Eastern Shore are invited to an exciting showcase of regional entrepreneurship at the 2025 Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow. Join the Upper Shore Regional Council, and Washington College’s Department of Business Management on Tuesday, April 15 at 2:30 – 6 p.m. on Washington College’s campus as aspiring entrepreneurs from Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s counties pitch their innovative business ideas for a chance to win significant cash prizes.

This dynamic event, which is free to attend, offers a unique opportunity to witness the energy and creativity of local startups. Selected entrepreneurs will present their 5-minute pitches, vying for a $4,000 grand prize and a $1,500 runner-up prize.

Come and support your local innovators as they present their visions and compete for these valuable resources. The pitches will be judged on:

Clarity of idea and solution
Viability of their business idea
How well the identified problem or opportunity is addressed by their plan
Impact — either socially or the community
Innovation

The StartUp Maryland bus, equipped with a recording studio, will also be on-site in Martha Washington Square (campus map), offering participants the chance to record their pitches for the Pitch Across Maryland competition.

The event organizers are pleased to host TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall and Carl Anderton, Director of Rural Economic Strategy at the Maryland Department of Commerce as welcome speakers. Washington College President Mike Sosulski and Susan O’Neill, Executive Director of the Upper Shore Regional Council, will preside over the award presentations and offer closing remarks.

Other events open to the public that day include:

Speed Connections – Breaking the Ice with Lenders, a speed lending segment open to any Maryland business and offered by the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Maryland Small Business Administration (SBA), is a low-pressure, high-impact opportunity to deliver a quick pitch to multiple lenders. It’s designed to build your confidence, provide real-time feedback, and help establish valuable financial partnerships.
Attendees will gain valuable insights from two dynamic panel discussions. “Where Are They Now?” will showcase past pitch competition participants, sharing their journeys, lessons learned, and the impact of the competition on their businesses. “Social Entrepreneurship – Innovation with Impact” will explore how mission-driven businesses are creating meaningful change while remaining financially sustainable. These discussions offer inspiration, practical advice, and a chance to learn from real-world success stories.
You also won’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with key resource partners offering invaluable support for businesses and startups. Organizations such as Maryland Capital Enterprises / Women’s Business Center, the Upper Shore Regional Council Business Mentor Program, TEDCO, and more will have tables showcasing their programs, funding opportunities, and expert guidance. Whether you’re looking for business mentorship, financial assistance, or strategic resources to take your venture to the next level, these partners will be on hand to provide information and connect you with the tools you need to succeed.

“The Upper Shore Regional Council, in partnership with Washington College, is thrilled to host the Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow Pitch Competition for the second consecutive year, an event that continues to inspire entrepreneurship across Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties,” shares Susan O’Neill, executive director of the Upper Shore Regional Council. “By offering technical and financial resources, we’re able to empower startups, students, and business leaders in the Upper Shore region. This pitch competition allows us to invest in innovative ideas from our community.”

“We are excited to be hosting the Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow Pitch Competition again this year,” said Caddie Putnam-Rankin, associate professor of business management at Washington College. “At last year’s event our students connected with local entrepreneurs, offering both inspiration and valuable networking opportunities. A highlight of the event is the Pitch Competition where pitch finalists make the case for their entrepreneurial ventures in front of a panel of judges. From olive oil to lacrosse training equipment to community tutoring platforms students, alumni, and community members made the case that their idea was the best to win some start up financing. Washington College and the Upper Shore Regional Council look forward to again sharing our resources to support the next generation of visionary leaders. Together we can promote sustainable economic development in the region.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the thrill of entrepreneurship and support the growth of local businesses. For more details and updates, please visit: https://www.kentcounty.com/strt1up.

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Maryland faces $418 million ‘catastrophic’ loss in pandemic-era relief funds

April 1, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Education told states Friday that it was canceling previous approvals to spend down remaining COVID-19 recovery funds, a change that could mean $418 million to the Maryland Department of Education.

The change was announced in a letter from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon that was dated Friday at 5 p.m., and said the decision to cancel the pandemic funding was effective — Friday at 5 p.m.

“Shock does not begin to describe our reaction when we received the notification late Friday evening,” Maryland State Superintendent Carey Wright said Monday. “This jeopardizes over $400 million in funding.”

Wright called the federal agency’s decision “catastrophic,” noting that the money has already been spent or at least committed to the state’s 24 school systems. She said the money is being used for tutoring, reading materials, after-school programming, even some construction projects such as repairs for heating and air conditioning units, among others.

State officials said about $305.2 million has already been spent but not reimbursed by the federal department. Another $112.8 million is in “encumbered” funds not paid out by the state, which means school systems must immediately stop any ongoing work on capital projects, or educational programs.

“It may be a tutoring program that’s going on right now in schools that was intended to go through this school year, or it might be an improvement to a health room in a school,” said state Board of Education President Joshua Michael. “There’s going to be significant disruption.”

Officials said it remains unclear if the state would need to cover costs for ongoing programs, or if the local school systems may have to return any money already spent.

“The federal government is breaking the trust that it has once held strong with states across America,” Michael said.

School officials said they are consulting with the Office of the Attorney General on the possibility of filing suit against the federal department.

“I think it’s fair to say that we are exploring all legal options at this time given the severity of this action,” Michael said.

He said the majority of the money comes from the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ARP ESSER, program.

The state last year requested and received approval for an extension on how it would draw down the ESSER funds it had left over. Wright said the state sought extensions because of supply chain issues and construction delays.

The approval was given before a Jan. 28 deadline set by former President Joe Biden (D) before he left office that month. But in her letter Friday, McMahon dismissed the approvals by the previous administration.

“The extension approval was issued recently, so any reliance interests developed are minimal,” McMahon wrote. “Moreover, an agency may reconsider its prior decision. So you could not rely on the Department adhering to its original decision. That is especially true because the extension was a matter of administrative grace.”

She said that extending deadlines to allocate “COVID-related grants … years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion.”

But McMahon also wrote the department would reconsider funding for states if the could explain “how a particular project’s extension is necessary to mitigate the effects of COVID on American students’ education, and why the Department should exercise its discretion to grant your request.”

Wright said ending the program at 5 p.m. Friday and offering to consider appeals from states “seemed to be contradictory,” but she said her department plans to send a letter to justify why money for Maryland is necessary.

A U.S. department spokesperson said that specific projects would be assessed if funds are used directly to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.

“COVID is over. States and school districts can no longer claim they are spending their emergency pandemic funds on ‘COVID relief’ when there are numerous documented examples of misuse,” said Madi Biedermann in a statement Monday afternoon.

“The Biden Administration established an irresponsible precedent by extending the deadline for spending the COVID money far beyond the intended purpose of the funds, and it is past time for the money to be returned to the people’s bank account,” Biedermann’s statement said.

In part because of the Education Department’s decision, the Maryland Senate approved an amendment to a budget bill Monday that would require the governor’s budget team to track federal cuts and, if they hit $1 billion, recommend state spending cuts to the General Assembly’s Legislative Policy Committee.

“If we have a $1 billion problem from combined actions by the federal government, we would begin a process of review through our policy committee, and work with the governor to come up with solutions,” said Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard), chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee. “We have to be wide-eyed open about what could be happening because it is happening.”

Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore and Carroll) asked if any recommendations that may come from the policy committee would be for the legislature next year.

“Could very well be,” Guzzone said.

by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
March 31, 2025

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MD Senate Panel’s vote on Blueprint bill straddles House, Administration Versions

March 22, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Senate Budget and Taxation Committee voted Friday for amendments to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future that splits the difference between House and administration versions. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters

A Senate committee advanced parts of Maryland’s sweeping education reform plan Friday, splitting the difference between versions of the bill advanced by the House and the Moore administration and setting up a showdown in the waning days of the legislature.

The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee approved a four-year pause in the start of funding for teacher “collaborative time” — something the administration supports — but also voted to keep funding for community schools — something the House insisted on.

Senate Bill 429 still needs to be taken up by a second Senate panel, the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee, which is scheduled for Monday. That gives lawmakers just two weeks to approve a Senate bill and hammer out differences with the House before the April 7 end of the General Assembly session.

The so-called “Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act” was sparked by the state’s fiscal crisis and by the repeated call from local school officials for flexibility in the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the sweeping 10-year, multibillion-dollar education reform plan.

Gov. Wes Moore introduced a bill that keeps the goals of the plan largely intact, but delays funding and implementation of some portions.

One portion is the proposal for an increase in teacher “collaborative time,” or time that teachers spend on planning, training and working with individual students, as opposed to time in front of a classroom. The Blueprint calls for teachers’ classroom time to be cut from 80% of their day to 60%; the administration bill would delay the start of that for four years, in part because it would require the hiring of at least 12,000 new teachers at a time when the state faces a teacher shortage.

The House rejected that plan, and set collaborative time to begin in 2026. But the Senate went with the governor’s version in what Budget and Taxation Committee Chair Guy Guzzone (D-Howard) called a “pacing” of the initiative.

“Whenever you don’t extend the full amount, if, in fact, you want to get to the full amount, by definition, it has to go out further,” Guzzone told reporters after the committee’s vote.

The committee did agree with the House version and rejected the administration’s call for a two-year freeze on funding for community schools, those located in low-income neighborhoods Sen. President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) has said such a delay would negatively affect students.

The Senate committee also agreed with the House to “hold harmless” funding for multilingual learners, students in poverty and those in special education — exempting those students from any per pupil funding reductions that might come down. The committee on Friday also added students at the Maryland School for the Blind, Maryland School for the Deaf and the SEED School of Maryland.

The committee was more generous than either the House or the administration when it comes to Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports, a part of the Blueprint plan that deals with mental health, behavioral and other wraparound services for students. The House agreed with the governor that it should be cut from $130 million this year to $40 million in fiscal 2026, but senators want to cut the fund to $70 million next year and raise it to $100 million in fiscal 2027 and each year after.

But senators sided with the administration on “foundation” funding, or per pupil spending. Under the Blueprint, it was slated to grow from $8,789 per pupil this year to $9,226 next year, but the administration proposed reducing the growth to $9,063 next year and slowing the pace of growth for several years after. The Senate committee agreed, but the House voted to keep the original Blueprint funding levels.

With an eye toward looming cuts to the federal government, another Senate amendment made Friday would freeze funding increases if federal funds or revenue projections by the state’s Board of Revenues in December decrease by 3.75%.

Senate Majority Leader Nancy King (D-Montgomery), a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee, earlier this week defended delays in Blueprint goals for the time being.

“There’s a lot of good that’s already come out of the Blueprint, and a lot more that is going to come as we go,” King said Tuesday. “I don’t think it would be a bad thing if we just slowed it [collaborative time] down a bit.”

The Senate Education, Energy and the Environment will review, and possibly vote on, the other parts of the bill Monday that deal with teacher programs, initiatives and other incentives before sending it to the full Senate for consideration and then back to the House.

Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said during a press conference Thursday to announce a framework for the overall fiscal 2026 budget, that negotiations on the Blueprint are ongoing. But Atterbeary said she and Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel), chair of the Appropriations Committee, have made their positions “pretty clear.”

“Where we stand and where the House stands in … protecting those that are most vulnerable, particularly those in community schools,” she said. “So we’ll see what the Senate does, and we’ll link up with them and negotiate that in the days to come.”

By William J. Ford

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

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