Despite uncertainties on the state and local level about adequate funding, the slow process of implementing education reform in Maryland continues.
An update on the progress of Calvert County’s strategy related to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future state education reform plan was presented April 11 to the Calvert County Board of Education.
Joe Sampson, the public school system’s coordinator of grants and blueprints, said Calvert’s implementation plan was submitted to state education officials in March. Sampson said the county’s “financial challenges” are highlighted in the document.
Over time, Sampson said the implementation calls for meaningfully “changing the structure of the school day” in Calvert. This change would help address one of the five Blueprint pillars to “enable most students to achieve college and career readiness” by the end of the 10th grade.
In summarizing her report on the work to provide a pathway to college or a career, Carrie Akins, principal of the Career and Technology Academy, said the school system’s career advisors will meet the goal of making sure “every sixth and ninth grade student has received individualized career advising.”
Akins said data is being collected for reporting to the state’s accountability and implementation board.
She explained to the school board that sixth and ninth grades “was a straightforward starting point for us” with a goal to subsequently expand the advising to all students.
In a listing of “planned activities/future timeline,” Akins listed, among other things, continued training for all middle and high school instructional staffs in assessing individual student’s potential career choices, reaching out to elementary school staffs for similar training, engaging parents in the process and expanding opportunities for more career fairs and field trips.
Akins said the greatest challenge in providing the career counseling is “time. We’re adding something to the experience for students and that takes place during the school day. How do we do that in a way that allows for a robust experience in career advising without taking away from instructional time for students? That’s a delicate balance.”
In response to a question from school board member Dawn Balinski, both Sampson and Akins said the local Blueprint implementation has greatly benefitted from a memorandum of understanding with the Tri-County Council of Southern Maryland in the area of career advising.
“They’ve helped to connect us to a variety of things,” Akins said.
Sampson said with a clearer picture of areas where funding resources may be needed, the memorandum of understanding could be modified.
Both Balinski and Jordan Hayes, student board member, inquired about the aim to change the structure of the school day.
Sampson indicated the change would be a gradual phase in, which could take several years to fully implement.
The state’s accountability and information board is expected to provide feedback on Calvert’s implementation plan submission before the end of the month.
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