Join the Kent County Public Schools Family Support Resource Center and the Special Education Citizen’s Advisory Committee for a free workshop on the special education process.

“Understanding Special Education” will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 in the media center at Kent County Middle School in Chestertown.

Attendees will gain a basic understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and become more familiar with their role as parents in the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Participants will also have the opportunity to learn practical strategies for participating effectively in IEP meetings.

Free dinner and childcare will be available.

Pre-registration is preferred, but not required. Register with the Family Support Resource Center at 410-778-5708, [email protected] or online at https://forms.gle/hjWzwpUbwWHv1S2B9.

Kent County Middle School is located at 402 E. Campus Ave., Chestertown.

 

A group of Montgomery County parents has asked the Supreme Court to review the school system’s refusal to let them opt their children out of classes that use LGBTQ+ books in lower elementary school grades.

The petition, filed last week, claims the school system’s refusal to let parents opt their children out of the classes infringes on their religious liberty rights by exposing the children to gender and sexuality norms that contradict their religious beliefs.

The policy gives parents – who include Muslim, Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox families – “no protection against forced participation in ideological instruction by government schools,” as their petition claims.

A Montgomery County school spokesman said the system was aware of the Supreme Court appeal and was reviewing it, but that the system would not comment on ongoing litigation.

The appeal is the latest twist in a case that began two years ago, when the schools unveiled a list of “LGBTQ+-inclusive texts for use in the classroom.” Those included books to be used in lower grades, including one for use in kindergarten and pre-K classrooms.

The books were introduced in the 2022-23 school year and are not part of a mandatory reading list for the classrooms but can be used by teachers in classroom instruction.

At issue are seven books in the lower grades, which include titles such as “My Rainbow,” which tells the story of a mother who creates a rainbow-colored wig for her transgender child; “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” about a girl worried she will lose time with her soon-to-be-married uncle, until his boyfriend befriends her and gains her trust; and “Pride Puppy,” about a puppy lost at a Pride parade, which uses each letter of the alphabet to describe the people it might have met there. The last book, for kindergarten and pre-K, invites students to search for drag kings and queens, lip rings, leather and underwear, among other items, according to court documents.

In court documents, a school system official said the books were not planned to be part of “explicit instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in elementary school, and that no student or adult is asked to change how they feel about these issues.” Instead, the official said, teachers were expected to make the books available in the classroom, recommend them as appropriate for particular students or offer them “as an option for literature circles, book clubs, or paired reading groups; or to use them as a read aloud” in class.

Parents who objected to the use of the books were originally allowed to opt their children out of lessons that included the books. But the school system in March 2023 announced that opt-outs would no longer be allowed, beginning in the 2023-24 school year. It said parents can opt students out of parts of sex education, but not other parts of the curriculum, like language arts.

That sparked a lawsuit by a group of parents who objected on religious and secular grounds. They said they were not trying to ban the use of the books in Montgomery County schools but argued that, with no opt-out requirement, they were being forced to expose their children to ideas that conflicted with their firmly held religious beliefs.

So far, the underlying elements of the case have not been heard, merely the parents’ request for a preliminary injunction of the school system’s opt-out policy, which the parents have repeatedly lost.

A federal district judge in August 2023 denied the parents’ request for a preliminary injunction and a divided panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in May, writing that the parents had not met the high burden of showing that they were likely to win on their claim that the lack of an opt-out policy was actually coercing them to abandon part of their faith.

The majority opinion, written by Circuit Judge G. Steven Agee, said that because the record in preliminary injunction hearings was extremely sparse, the parents had not been able to “connect the requisite dots” to show that a burden on their First Amendment rights existed.

While the parents had shown that the books “could be used in ways that would confuse or mislead children and, in particular, that discussions relating to their contents could be used to indoctrinate their children into espousing views that are contrary to their religious faith. … none of that is verified by the limited record that is before us,” Agee wrote.

“Should the Parents in this case or other plaintiffs in other challenges to the Storybooks’ use come forward with proof that a teacher or school administrator is using the Storybooks in a manner that directly or indirectly coerces children into changing their religious views or practices, then the analysis would shift in light of that record,” Agee wrote.

The fact that parents might feel forced to forgo a public school education and pay for private school was not sufficiently coercive to be a burden on the parents’ First Amendment rights, based on the record so far, he wrote.

In a dissent, Circuit Judge A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. said parents had met their burden for a preliminary injunction while the case was heard.

“Both sides of the issue advance passionate arguments. Some insist diversity and inclusion should be prioritized over the religious rights of parents and children. Others argue the opposite,” Quattlebaum wrote.

But the parents have made the case for an injunction of the opt-out policy for now, he wrote.

“The parents have shown the board’s decision to deny religious opt-outs burdened these parents’ right to exercise their religion and direct the religious upbringing of their children by putting them to the choice of either compromising their religious beliefs or foregoing a public education for their children,” Quattlebaum wrote. “I would … enjoin the Montgomery County School Board of Education from denying religious opt-outs for instruction to K-5 children involving the texts.”

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by Maryland Matters Staff, Maryland Matters
September 16, 2024

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]. Follow Maryland Matters on Facebook and X.

With its fall Speaker Event schedule, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to spotlight a range of accomplished presenters sharing their unique expertise and storytelling to highlight the region’s rich history, environment, and culture.

Hosted in the Van Lennep Auditorium and available virtually, these programs are designed to spark important conversations while fostering connections between the past, present, and future of the Bay. They are supported by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

The suggested ticket cost is $8 per session. To sign up, and get more information, visit cbmm.org/SpeakerSeries.

“I am looking forward to this whole series of Speaker Events,” CBMM’s Vice President of Education & Interpretation Jill Ferris said. “Bringing individual perspective and historical scholarship, each presenter explores a different aspect of life in the Chesapeake to help us better understand the world around us.”

The fall series begins next Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 5:30pm, with a homecoming via “The 1960s in St. Michaels: An Author Talk with David Guth.” A St. Michaels native, Guth will share an advance reading from his new historical fiction novel “In the Moment” based on his own experiences growing up in the Bay Hundred area in the 1960s that inspired his work.

The spotlight will be on the traditional workboats that line many area harbors on Thursday, Oct. 10, with a presentation from maritime journalist and historian Larry Chowning on Chesapeake Bay Deadrises.

The deadrise and cross-planked bottom style of boatbuilding started on the Bay in the 1880s, when builders of wooden boats began using planks, instead of logs, to create hulls with an unmistakable V-shaped bottom. Chowning will share insights into the history and culture of the deadrise, which grew to be so popular that both Maryland and Virginia have named deadrise vessels as their state boats.

Not far from CBMM’s campus, a team of archaeologists have been searching a remote part of Dorchester County since late 2020 for evidence of Harriet Tubman’s early life, including her birthplace and the 10-acre home site of her father, Ben Ross. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Dr. Julie Schablitsky will provide a glimpse into the historical research and archaeology that has gone into the effort to locate and interpret these sites with “The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman’s Birthplace.”

On Friday, Dec. 6, CBMM will delve into its newest special exhibition with “Sailing to Freedom: Recovering and Re-centering the Maritime Dimension of the Underground Railroad.”

This program will feature Dr. Timothy Walker, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth whose book “Sailing to Freedom” provided the basis for CBMM’s soon-to-open exhibition in the Changing Exhibitions Gallery. Walker will share how his research has expanded understanding of how freedom was achieved by sea and what this journey looked like for untold numbers of African Americans.

More mission-focused Speakers Events are on the horizon in 2025, including a talk with historian Eric Cheezum sharing his scholarly research on Chessie the Chesapeake Bay Sea Monster (Jan. 30) and a program on the future of the Bay watershed (Feb. 6) with Martha Shimkin of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office and Anna Killius of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

Additional speakers and programming will be announced in the coming months. Find more information about all CBMM’s upcoming events at cbmm.org/events.

Radcliffe Creek School (RCS), in partnership with the Psychology Department at Washington College, will co-host the child and adolescent social-emotional learning expert, Caroline Maguire, ACCG, PCC, M.Ed. this October as she presents her talk, “Why Will No One Play with Me? Teachable Coachable Social Skills.”

Maguire will address ways to support all children and adolescents through the challenging social and emotional issues that arise on the playground and beyond. A bestselling author, Maguire coaches parents, teachers and child caregivers on strategies to positively support children of all ages, demographics and lifestyles, who need extra guidance navigating social situations, especially those who struggle with emotional concerns, learning differences, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“Maguire’s talk promises to share tools that we, as a community, can use for mentoring youth toward becoming responsible citizens,” explained Lauren Littlefield, Ph.D., Dr. Carol C. Culp Professor of Psychology at Washington College. “Playing nicely with others, managing impulses, and being sensitive to the perspective of others are essential life skills. Of course, good social and emotional skills lead to healthy relationships, but socioemotional competence also promotes academic learning and career success,” Littlefield added.

Maguire’s presentation will be held on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, from 5-6:30 p.m. in Hynson Lounge at Hodson Hall on Washington College’s campus. The event is free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of the event’s sponsors, including The Gibson-Wagner Psychology Department Fund at Washington College, The Holstein Program in Ethics at Washington College, the William James Forum at Washington College and the Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Committee. Current and future parents, grandparents, teachers and professionals who work with children are encouraged to attend, as well as general members of the campus and community.

Radcliffe Creek School’s Head of School Peter Thayer remarked, “We are thrilled to be able to work with our partner, Washington College, to bring this social-emotional learning expert to our community. I invite parents, grandparents and those who work with children and adolescents to join us for this important presentation. It is on us as teachers, parents and caregivers to support our kids—especially those with a neurodivergence—and the first step in that is understanding their needs.”

To learn more about the event and to register online, visit https://Caroline-Maguire-at-WC.eventbrite.com or click on the News and Events Page at RadcliffeCreekSchool.org. Complimentary refreshments will be provided, and free parking is available on Washington College’s campus. Registration is encouraged to ensure your seat, as space is limited.

Photo:  Speaker Caroline Maguire, ACCG, PCC, M.Ed.

 

 The Gunston School commenced its 114th year on Tuesday, September 3, with its annual Embarkation tradition, welcoming a total of 74 new students and seven new employees to the community by boat. After exchanging a handshake with Head of School John Lewis, newcomers signed the school’s Honor Code, and made their way up the hill to greet fellow students and current staff and faculty. Parents and family members were invited to watch from the shoreline as students arrived. In all, 13 boats made their way down the Corsica River to Gunston’s docks, all captained by parent volunteers.

Once all new students and staff arrived by boat, they made their way to the Field House for Convocation where they were greeted by Student Body President Logan K. ’25. After ringing an antique bell from Gunston’s days as an all-girls boarding school, Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis declared, “Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!”

In addition to students, Gunston welcomed several new faculty, staff, and board members. Brad Hirsh joins Gunston as the new Chesapeake Watershed Semester/Sustainability Director. A graduate of the St. Andrew’s School and Bard College, Mr. Hirsh has worked both in independent schools in Nevada and Pennsylvania, as well as in experiential education at Echo Hill Outdoor School and Sultana Project, where he was recently a program director.

Joelle Siwald joins the Math Department. She is a graduate of Goucher College with a degree in Psychology and minors in Sociology and Mathematics. She has been teaching since 2018, most recently at Kent Island High School. Mack Wiseman joins the Music Department as Gunston expands its offerings in contemporary music. A native Canadian, Mr. Wiseman earned his Bachelors in Music from the University of Lethbridge in Canada, and recently earned his Masters in Music degree from the University of Delaware, with a focus on percussion. He has taught a wide range of students both privately and in music schools, and has toured widely with amateur and professional groups.

Dr. Jamie Fleetwood officially joins Gunston as a full-time Chemistry teacher after her work last year as a long-term sub. She earned a B.A. in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, and a Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Maryland. In addition to her professional background and experience, Dr. Fleetwood earned athletics honors at Johns Hopkins as a two-time Division I All American, an Academic All American, and an inductee of the JHU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Also embarking this year were three employees who joined the team mid-year during the 23-24 school year. Sara Martin joined as the Executive Assistant to the Head of School and possesses more than 12 years of professional experience in customer service and administrative services. Martin worked at a law firm for many years and earned her B.A. from Washington College. JW Cahall joined the team as a Facilities Technician, supporting the Director of Maintenance and Facilities, and Catherine Lawson joined as the Director of Events & Alumni Relations. Lawson earned a Bachelor’s degree at Stanford University and has served in various roles in the consulting, real estate, event and business development industries.

Joining Gunston’s Board of Trustees are Washington College (WC) President Mike Sosulski, Ph.D. and Tim Faff, P’23’26. Dr. Sosulski joined WC in 2021, after serving as Provost at Wofford College in South Carolina. Since joining the college, he has implemented a number of initiatives including a $20 million investment in renovations of residence halls, improved Wi-Fi quality and access, added several sports for men and women and also  helped to steward the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college—$50 million from the Hodson Trust dedicated to financial support for students. He is currently planning the expansion of WC’s campus facilities as well as the celebration of the college’s 250th anniversary.

Mr. Faff is a co-founder and managing partner of Precision Contractors, based in Stevensville, Md. With a background in historic restoration, he went to work for one of the top custom home builders in the country before co-founding his company in 2012, which now specializes in architect-designed custom homes and renovations.

Watch the Video Recap here: youtu.be/xFJKoXo-N1g?si=9or1HSGOpbij-gus

By Caroline J. Phillips

 

 

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Founded in 1911 and currently enrolling 247 students, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

The board charged with implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future agreed Wednesday to give a special education work group until May 30 to finish its work, well beyond the Dec. 1 target for the group to prepare recommendations for lawmakers.

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) agreed that the special education group needs the extra time “given the complexities” of the issues it is grappling with, and it voted to amend the overall education reform plan to reflect that.

The amendment approved Wednesday still calls on the work group to have a report ready by Dec. 1 with whatever recommendations it has at the time, but allows it to continue its work for at least another six months.

Blueprint board member Joseph Manko, education program director at the Abell Foundation, asked if even the Dec. 1 deadline will allow enough time to prepare a report in time for the start of the next legislative session. The first day of the 2025 General Assembly session in Annapolis is Jan. 8.

But Rachel Hise, executive director of the AIB, said staff regularly attends work group meetings “and we would be aware of whatever they are proposing to submit in the report by Dec. 1.”

The update approved Wednesday not only allows the work group to turn in any additional documents after that date, but to continue to meet quarterly from July 2025 through July 2026 “to receive updates on the progress of implementation of its recommendations.”

The work group wanted to submit a final report by May 30, according to a letter from State Superintendent Carey Wright to Blueprint board chair and former Montgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett (D).

“Given the complexities of the tasks at hand and the critical nature of collaboration necessary to hear all voices, it is unlikely that the content from at least three of the fall meetings could be incorporated into the final report due December 1, 2024,” Wright wrote. “After all of the meetings are held and final recommendations are made, there will be additional work to incorporate the recommendations into the prioritization/implementation plan.”

The work group was established as part of the 10-year Blueprint plan to collect data and analyze instructional processes to students who receive special education services, and to review teaching methods used in Maryland and other states, among other duties.

Wednesday’s special education work group amendment was implemented a month after the board approved other updates to the Blueprint plan, which are supposed to be done annually by Aug. 1. Some of the Blueprint updates are from state legislation approved this year, such as partnerships between eligible prekindergarten providers and other entities established by the state Department of Education.

The expansion of eligible prekindergarten lead teachers will include not only those with bachelor ‘s degrees  in early childhood education or a related field, but also those with “documented experience of actively providing services … for a minimum of 10 years for at least 20 hours per week and 180 days per year.”

These updates reflect part of the Blueprint’s early childhood education and came from House Bill 1441, sponsored by Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Other updates to the overall Blueprint plan allow for the Career and Technical Education Committee (CTE) to request information and review a school district’s Blueprint plans related to technical education programs. Another addition to the overall plan will require that school districts hire Blueprint coordinators, with the costs shared between the state and district, but the prices differ in most jurisdictions.

“For each fiscal year, each county [school] board shall provide $150,000 for the salary and benefits of the implementation coordinator,” according to the Blueprint document.

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

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]. Follow Maryland Matters on Facebook and X.

US Navy’s Role in the Civil War

Did you know that the United State’s fledgling Navy played an important role in the American Civil War?  Learn how the Navy helped the Union cause during the Civil War and about the leadership of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles in the Chesapeake Forum course, US Navy in the Civil War, starting Sept. 10th from 1:30 – 3 PM.  

This course will trace the development of both the oceangoing, as well as the river fleets, the enlightened leadership of Welles and others, along with the manufacturing prowess of the Union that developed and built the warships and met the disparate needs of the military.  

Instructor Mickey Terrone is a lifelong student of the Civil War. He recently taught a course at Chesapeake Forum on the border states, including Maryland. He is a past president of the Civil War Round Table of Washington, DC.

US Navy in the Civil War is three (3) sessions, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 17 and 24 from 1:30 – 3 PM.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM or recording).  $40.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

Maryland students showed minor improvements in math and English language arts last year, but still had wide gaps between demographic groups, according to standardized test scores released Tuesday morning by the state Department of Education.

The State Board of Education reviewed the data Tuesday on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), which students took this spring during the 2023-24 school year.

The data are from tests taken by students in grades three through eight in math and language arts. Additional results are from specific math courses in Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry. Student proficiency is also measured in science for students in fifth and eighth grades.

Geoff Sanderson, deputy state superintendent of accountability for the department, said the overall increase was 3% in math and language arts from two years ago to last school year.

“Very little change from prior year to current year results,” he said.

The 2022-23 school year was the first, full statewide assessment since students returned to in-person instruction after many spent time learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A shortened version of the test was administered three years ago to assess how students fared during online instruction.

The MCAP is among factors that determine the state’s annual report card and school star rating system. New reports were last issued in March, the first time the state issued the annual report card since 2019 because of the pandemic.

School-level results will be released on the Maryland Report Card site next month.

 

A graphic of Maryland map that shows percentage of students who scored proficient in math from all 24 school districts. Screenshot.

In terms of tests taken this spring, about 48.1% of students reached overall proficiency in language arts; overall student proficiency in math was 24.1%.

All grade levels that were tested saw increases in their overall scores, with 10th grade students recording the highest percentage at 55.3%.

Geometry was the only math subject that didn’t improve from the previous school year. It decreased from 23.4% to 21.9%.

But one main problem still exists: student demographics. Almost all demographic groups saw year-over-year increases, but wide gaps between the groups remain.

Here’s a look at student proficiency in math based on race:

Asian students: 54.6% in 2023-24 school year; 54.3% in 2022-23 school year;White students: 37.9% in 2023-24 school year; 36.3% in 2022-23 school year;Black students: 12.1% in 2023-24 school year; 11.3% in 2022-23 school year;Hispanic/Latino students: 11.9% in 2023-24 school year; 11.5% in 2022-23 school year.

Here’s a look at student proficiency in language arts based on race:

Asian students: 74.8% in 2023-24 school year; 75.4% in 2022-23 school year;White students: 65.2% in 2023-24 school year; 63.9% in 2022-23 school year;Black students: 36.2% in 2023-24 school year; 35.2% in 2022-23 school year;Hispanic/Latino students: 31.8% in 2023-24 school year; 32.4% in 2022-23 school year.

A graphic of Maryland map that shows percentage of students who scored proficient in math from all 24 school districts. Screenshot.

The data also breaks down into student groups such as multilingual learners, economically disadvantaged and those with disabilities.

Board President Joshua Michael said no specific questions would be addressed Tuesday because the board will take a “deeper dive” into the results next month.

One part of that, he said, would be assessing certain schools based on poverty and whether a building is designated a community school. That is a school that receives a concentration of poverty grants and a variety of services such as before- or after-school tutoring, English-language learner courses and food pantries.

Board member Rachel McCusker advised her colleagues, those in attendance and people listening online that it takes time to make significant gains in student achievement.

“Those gains don’t happen overnight. They take time. It takes time to train teachers to get it moving with fidelity in schools,” said McCusker, a public school teacher in Carroll County. “It just makes a mindset to understand that changes in education don’t just happen.”

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by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
August 27, 2024

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]. Follow Maryland Matters on Facebook and X.