The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a multi-billion dollar endeavor aimed at addressing concerns about the quality of public education in the state, is about to remake virtually every public school in the state.
And this Local News Network project — “Behind the Blueprint” — aims to explain Maryland’s landmark education reform plan. Based on interviews with dozens of education sources as well as a survey of school principals, the project will be published by the University of Maryland’s Capital News Service over the coming weeks.
In addition to the accompanying story on the Blueprint’s impact on the state budget, “Behind the Blueprint” features a district-by-district look at the reform plan as well as upcoming stories on each of the plan’s five pillars.
What are the 5 pillars of Maryland’s Blueprint?
- Early Childhood Education: This pillar expands access to full-day government-paid pre-K to all 3- and 4- year- olds from families that are earning incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, and allows wealthier families to pay for pre-K on a sliding scale based on their income. The goal is to make pre-K available to all 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 school year.
- High Quality and Diverse Teachers and Leaders: With Maryland — like the nation — confronting a teacher shortage, this pillar seeks to attract and retain teachers by raising pay, increasing training and building a new career ladder.
- College and Career Readiness: This pillar aims to make all of the state’s students ready for college and careers by the end of 10th grade. The state plans a redrawing of its public school curriculum and a stronger emphasis on early college and vocational training.
- Increased Resources: This pillar will increase the state’s per-pupil funding amount annually until the 2032-33 school year. Currently at $8,642, the funding will eventually reach $12,365. But the Blueprint also places additional funding burdens on the state’s school districts.
- Governance and Accountability: The state created a new agency, the Accountability and Implementation Board, to develop the state’s 10-year Blueprint plan and ensure all districts and schools are following it.
Later Local News Network stories will detail how the plan will affect other facets of public education in the state.