During the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) winter Conference in Cambridge, Gov. Wes Moore (D) warned political and business leaders of upcoming challenges the state could face and announced some of his plans to address these issues.
While state revenues are on an upward trend, Maryland is facing a $2.7 billion shortfall next year that will likely be widened by Trump administration proposals including firing of federal workers and significant reductions to government spending. This shortfall is expected to rise to roughly $6 billion by 2030.
“I know we are facing steep challenges,” said Moore during the conference. “Maryland is in the path of two storms: First, we face a historic budget crisis, the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. And second, we are about to swear in a new administration in Washington, D.C., that casts uncertainty on our future.”
Moore called for reforms to the Blueprint for Education, increasing the state’s housing supply, further collaboration with county partners, and focusing on the life sciences, I.T., and aerospace and defense sectors.
The governor has also recently championed the suggestion to increase tax revenues by allowing beer and wine into grocery stores.
In most of Maryland’s counties, alcohol sales are limited to liquor stores and in Prince George’s, alcohol sales are particularly limited on Sundays. The Maryland Retailers Alliance, Maryland Association of Chain Drug Stores and Maryland Food Industry Council sent out a statement in support while several pub and liquor stores owners lament the potential change.
“Maryland is one of only states in the nation that bans the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores – it’s time for a change. Lifting this ban puts people first and makes us more competitive. I look forward to working with our legislative partners to pass this overdue change,” the governor said.
More MACo Moments: Leaders Talk Blueprint for Education
While the governor called to reform Blueprint for Education, the equity-focused state plan to significantly increase school funding and teacher pay, he is not the only state leader who has pegged examining the program a top priority.
Several County education leaders, including Calvert County Superintendent Andraé Townsel and Charles County Superintendent Maria Navarro, have noted that adjustments to the implementation of the Blueprint for Education will likely be needed due to ongoing budget concerns.
During the MACo conference, a panel of school leaders on the Blueprint echoed similar themes.
“We are a suburb of Washington, D.C., so we have teachers that will live in Charles,” said Christina Miller, a Blueprint coordinator in Charles County. “The majority of our residents leave the county to go to work, and so they go to Northern Virginia, they go to D.C., and D.C. public schools pay considerably more. So, what are things that are at a lower cost that can get us bigger results to help with the retaining of our teachers?”
Kim Poole, a Baltimore-based, founding fellow of the Teaching Artist Institute, explained how Blueprint for Education could be beneficial depending on how funds are allocated.
“The Blueprint for Education represents a powerful tool for addressing educational inequities in Maryland, but its impact on Black communities will depend on the extent to which it prioritizes cultural responsiveness and equitable access to resources. Leaders must ensure that the Blueprint includes mechanisms to fund and promote culturally specific programs that inspire students by connecting them to their heritage,” said Poole. “As an educational strategist and cultural exchange leader with the Teaching Artist Institute, my work emphasizes the importance of expeditionary learning to support educational and personal development for youth, particularly those of African descent.
Poole also advocates for Maryland leaders to improve educational outcomes by allocating funding for experiential and immersive learning opportunities such as field research, cultural immersion, and international travel programs.
“Maryland must better prioritize arts education as an integral part of student success. Arts education should be viewed not only as a tool for fostering creativity but also as a means of bringing history and culture to life.”
Plain and simple, MD needs to pay its’ teachers better and keep great health insurance for them (they are around sick kids every day of their job). MD did not have a financial crisis before Moore, now we do. Stop the stupid spending. Prioritize reading, writing, math, science, history. Cultural immersion will not teach our kids to read, do math, etc., get back to the basics of teaching core subjects so our kids can actually enter college with some education skills. More Arts education will not move our students forward into the future.