A child’s education is not a luxury we fund when convenient. It is a moral obligation and one of the smartest investments Maryland can make.
As the father of a daughter with autism and as a former educator, I take that obligation personally. When politicians debate education funding, I think about families working every day to ensure their children receive the support they deserve.
Education is nonnegotiable. Funding it should be, too.
Maryland’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future represents a commitment to improving public education. But passing legislation and allocating money mean little if families cannot see the results in their children’s classrooms.
The Blueprint is already being implemented, including expanded community schools and additional resources for students who need them most. That progress matters, but I will say what many parents are thinking: It is not good enough.
Not while children with disabilities continue facing barriers to receiving the services they need. Not while parents struggle to get answers about their children’s progress. And certainly not while schools lack the staffing and resources necessary to deliver on their promises.
The Blueprint specifically calls for increased special education funding and additional student support. Those commitments must translate into action.
An individualized education program, or IEP, means little without qualified staff to implement it. A communication device cannot help a child if educators lack proper training. Specialized instruction requires time, preparation and consistency.
We cannot celebrate progress while overlooking the children still being left behind.
Community schools offer an opportunity to address some of these challenges.
These schools connect education with services that help families overcome barriers, including tutoring, counseling, food assistance and health care.
In northern Prince George’s County, Sonia Sotomayor Middle School in Adelphi provides an example. Its community school program connects families with mentoring, academic support, food assistance referrals and workforce development opportunities. The school also has a health center through a partnership between Prince George’s County Public Schools and Children’s National Hospital.
That is the kind of investment families should see throughout our county.
But what about communities where families struggle with transportation, limited services or aging school buildings?
Students in southern Prince George’s County deserve the same access to meaningful resources as those in northern communities. State and county leaders must identify gaps and ensure investments reach neighborhoods where the needs are greatest.
These decisions must also include improvements to school buildings.
Children deserve safe classrooms, reliable heating and cooling, accessible restrooms and learning environments that support their needs. Accessibility should extend to playgrounds, cafeterias, entrances and transportation routes.
Along corridors such as Marlboro Pike, we should connect school improvements with safer sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and nearby family resources.
For a family raising a child with disabilities, access does not begin and end at the classroom door.
We also need to improve how schools communicate with parents.
I recently spoke with a mother who described having to jump through hoops just to receive consistent updates about her daughter’s progress.
That should never be acceptable.
Parents have a responsibility to remain engaged, but schools must be equally committed to keeping families informed. Parents should not have to chase down information about services, staffing changes or their child’s academic development.
For children with disabilities, communication can determine whether families recognize problems early enough to address them.
Parents know their children. Their voices belong in decisions about services, school improvements and how education dollars are spent.
And that brings us to accountability.
Supporting the Blueprint does not mean giving school systems a blank check. Maryland taxpayers deserve to know where the money goes, what improvements are being made and whether students are actually benefiting.
If a program is not working, fix it. If resources are not reaching students, find out why. If families identify problems, bring them into the conversation.
We should measure success by more than budgets, announcements and reports. We should measure it by student progress, dependable services and whether every child has a genuine opportunity to succeed.
Yes, fully implementing the Blueprint requires substantial investment. It also requires honest conversations about sustainable funding, responsible spending and priorities.
But we must recognize the cost of failing to invest.
A child who falls behind cannot always recover that lost opportunity. A parent who spends months fighting for services cannot get that time back.
Children keep growing while adults debate.
Maryland must protect essential educational services, strengthen its workforce, improve school facilities and make families meaningful partners.
As a father, I want my daughter and every child in Maryland to attend a school where their potential is recognized and their needs are met.
Education is nonnegotiable. Funding it should be, too.
Yes, we can afford the Blueprint. Our children are worth the investment, and our children with disabilities deserve to see that commitment honored.
