Blueprint education plan inches forward in Senate, confrontation with House looms
The state's sweeping education reform bill took another painstaking step forward Tuesday, when a second Senate committee give it preliminary OK and rejected a separate House version.
But the 6-2 vote by the Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee merely sends the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act back to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, which needs to agree to the latest changes before sending the bill to the full Senate.
From there, the bill has to go back to the House, which will likely reject the Senate plan before convening a conference committee to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. All with less than two weeks left in the legislative session.
Besides approving Senate Bill 429 Tuesday, the committee also known as Triple-E voted to make the House version conform to the Senate version, rejecting several cuts on collaborative time and per pupil funding first proposed by Gov. Wes Moore (D).
Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) abstained because 'there's still more to work do on such an important bill,' she said after the committee meeting that lasted more than two hours.
One major difference the committee approved versus the House version deals with community schools, those schools where at least 75% of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. According to the state Department of Education, about half of the state's schools have that community school designation.
The committee agreed with the governor's proposal to require that all 24 school systems develop countywide Blueprint implementation plans focused strictly on community schools.
The House struck that proposal, noting that local school officials already have to submit plans to the state Department of Education and the Accountability and Implementation Board, as part of the overall Blueprint for Maryland's Future 10-year reform plan. The board began to approve updated Blueprint plans in October.
Tuesday's discussion became a bit animated when it came to instructional coaches.
State Department of Education officials said the state currently has 803 instructional coaches, experienced educators who help administrators, teachers and other 'education professionals' learn how to prepare lesson plans, assess student data and other duties.
The goal is to hire up to 200 additional coaches in a four-year period.
Elise Brown, assistant state superintendent for instructional programs and services, said about 63% of the current coaches work in only five school systems.
'We do not see an equal distribution,' she said.
Alex Reese, chief of staff at the department who attended the meeting to represent State Superintendent Carey Wright, said the average ratio of teachers to coaches is 79 to 1. Reese said three school systems – one in Western Maryland, one on the Eastern Shore and another in Southern Maryland – have no instructional coaches.
'Best practice would be for a coach to coach a maximum of 12 teachers,' he said.
Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery) asked what's the annual salary for an instructional coach. Reese said the base salary is about $125,000.
Although Fry Hester supports instructional coaches, she said some of that money to seek coaches could be used to hire additional personnel in cybersecurity and other technology for schools.
'We have one person in the entire state of Maryland, at the state level, looking out for cybersecurity for the local schools,' said Fry Hester. But she agreed to withhold an amendment to add additional personnel toward cyber security after committee chair Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery) said more information was needed.
'We're immediately going to lose 200 teachers,' Fry Hester said. 'We're already short on teachers.'
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Chicago Tribune
10 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
California pushes partisan plan for new Democratic districts to counter Texas in fight for US House
LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday his state will hold a Nov. 4 special election to seek approval of redrawn districts intended to give Democrats five more U.S. House seats in the fight for control of Congress. The move is a direct response to a similar Republican-led effort in Texas, pushed by President Donald Trump as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority in the midterm elections. The nation's two most populous states have emerged as the center of a partisan turf war in the House that could spiral into other states — as well as the courts — in what amounts to a proxy war ahead of the 2026 elections. Texas lawmakers are considering a new map that could help them send five more Republicans to Washington. Democrats who so far have halted a vote by leaving the state announced Thursday that they will return home if Texas Republicans end their current special session and California releases its own recast map proposal. Both were expected to happen Friday. However, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to call another special session to push through new maps. Texas House Democrats planning their departure from Illinois and back to AustinIn Los Angeles, Newsom staged what amounted to a campaign kickoff rally for the as-yet unreleased new maps with the state's Democratic leadership in a downtown auditorium packed with union members, legislators and abortion rights supporters. Newsom and other speakers veered from discussing the technical grist of reshaping districts — known as redistricting — and instead depicted the looming battle as a conflict with all things Trump, tying it explicitly to the fate of American democracy. 'We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country,' Newsom said. 'We are not bystanders in this world. We can shape the future.' An overarching theme was the willingness to stand up to Trump, a cheer-inducing line for Democrats as the party looks to regroup from its 2024 losses. 'Donald Trump, you have poked the bear and we will punch back,' said Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential contender. Thursday's announcement marks the first time any state beyond Texas has officially waded into the mid-decade redistricting fight. The Texas plan was stalled when minority Democrats fled to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts on Aug. 3 to stop the Legislature from passing any bills. Elsewhere, leaders from red Florida to blue New York are threatening to write new maps. In Missouri, a document obtained by The Associated Press shows the state Senate received a $46,000 invoice to activate six redistricting software licenses and provide training for up to 10 staff members. In California, lawmakers must officially declare the special election, which they plan to do next week after voting on the new maps. Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers — enough to act without any Republican votes — and Newsom said he's not worried about winning the required support from two-thirds of lawmakers to advance the maps. Newsom encouraged other Democratic-led states to get involved. 'We need to stand up — not just California. Other blue states need to stand up,' Newsom said. Republicans hold a 219-212 majority in the U.S. House, with four vacancies. New maps are typically drawn once a decade after the census is conducted. Many states, including Texas, give legislators the power to draw maps. California is among states that rely on an independent commission that is supposed to be nonpartisan. The California map would take effect only if a Republican state moves forward, and it would remain through the 2030 elections. After that, Democrats say they would return mapmaking power to the independent commission approved by voters more than a decade ago. Some people already have said they would sue to block the effort, and influential voices including former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may campaign against it. 'Gavin Newsom's latest stunt has nothing to do with Californians and everything to do with consolidating radical Democrat power, silencing California voters, and propping up his pathetic 2028 presidential pipe dream,' National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez said in a statement. 'Newsom's made it clear: he'll shred California's Constitution and trample over democracy — running a cynical, self-serving playbook where Californians are an afterthought and power is the only priority.' California Democrats hold 43 of the state's 52 House seats, and the state has some of the most competitive House seats. Outside Newsom's news conference Thursday, U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted patrols, drawing condemnation from the governor and others. 'We're here making Los Angeles a safer place since we don't have politicians that will do that,' Gregory Bovino, chief of the patrol's El Centro, California, sector, told a reporter with KTTV in Los Angeles. He said he didn't know Newsom was inside nearby.
Axios
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Scoop: ActBlue makes it easier for independents to tap donors
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Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
The other bills keeping lawmakers up at night
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Cap and trade: Before the redistricting push, extending the state's carbon auction system was poised to dominate the end of the session. And it's still one of the heaviest political lifts on the Legislature's docket. Business interests such as CalChamber that once opposed creating a system in which emitters can purchase and trade a capped number of carbon credits are now backing a 'clean' reauthorization — in which the system would continue functioning as it does now. But environmental groups are lobbying for changes including changing how auction proceeds are spent, eliminating free allowances that keep major polluters' costs down and putting emissions caps on individual facilities'. The slow pace of negotiations — the Assembly and Senate aren't yet on the same page with weeks to go — has fueled speculation that the program may not be renewed until next year. But talks are in for a serious jolt Wednesday, the date of the state's next carbon auction. With the cap-and-trade system still set to expire in 2030, emitters have been bidding less on carbon credits, leaving state lawmakers with less revenue to put toward climate and transit programs. The pain of dwindling revenue could speed discussions along as California faces the prospect of multi-billion dollar deficits in the coming years. Housing bucks: As we reported earlier this week, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks' $10 billion housing bond hasn't made much progress in the Senate after advancing from the Assembly. Wicks told Playbook she's having 'ongoing conversations with a lot of different folks' about the measure, which would go before voters in 2026. The assemblymember said she's still negotiating the final dollar figure and where the money will go, although there's 'widespread support' for asking voters to set aside most of the funding for multifamily housing, especially subsidized units for low-income Californians. Masking up: Proponents of state Sen. Scott Wiener's proposal to ban the use of identity-concealing masks by ICE and other law enforcement agencies are still trying to soften opposition from powerful state and local police and sheriffs' groups. Wiener said they've 'tried to constructively engage' on the legislation, although he's not sure whether he can get the law enforcement lobby to neutral 'while still producing a strong bill that puts a stop to extreme masking.' The senator needs the groups to temper their opposition if he wants to win over skeptical moderate Democrats and secure the two-thirds vote required to put the legislation in place right away. He can also try to pass the bill by a simple majority vote, though it wouldn't take effect until January. 'If we can get a two-thirds vote with a strong bill, that's absolutely the path we'll take,' Wiener said. 'If getting a two-thirds vote means we damage the bill, then I would rather have a strong bill take effect Jan. 1, than a weakened bill take effect immediately.' The bill is part of a larger slate of immigration legislation lawmakers hoped to take up quickly after the recess, although the redistricting package will likely cause some delays. Refineries: Newsom's proposal to increase California's crude extraction made the rounds during recess and is gaining traction with lawmakers scared of a spike in gas prices if they don't avoid more refinery closures. Even state Sen. Henry Stern, a climate hawk, has said more drilling in Kern County is necessary to stabilize in-state fuel supply. But environmentalists are bristling at Newsom's 'drill one new well, plug two old ones' proposal, which they say could open up drilling statewide. The oil and gas industry, meanwhile, isn't too fond of some of the other measures in the draft legislation, which would ban fracking and increase safety oversight related to offshore drilling. Wildfire fund: Newsom has also proposed reupping the state's wildfire liability fund, meant to prevent utilities from going bankrupt when their equipment sparks wildfires, with a $9 billion extension of a surcharge on ratepayer bills (and $9 billion from shareholders). There's a sense of urgency: Southern California Edison alone could drain the fund with its potential liability from the Eaton Fire, leaving nothing to cover any new utility-sparked wildfires that emerge during the upcoming months, which are typically the most dangerous for wildfires. The proposal is a bitter political pill, however, during a year supposed to deliver on affordability. Ride-hailing benefits: Labor leaders backing Wicks' and Assemblymember Marc Berman's bid to guarantee Uber and Lyft drivers can organize for better pay and benefits have yet to find common ground with the ride-hailing companies. SEIU and labor allies want to keep existing language that would require the companies to recognize bargaining groups formed by drivers (who are classified as 'independent contractors' thanks to Prop 22, an industry-funded ballot measure voters approved in 2020). Uber and Lyft are open to benefits packages for drivers, but they're fiercely opposed to full-fledged organizing rights, which they see as a clear attempt at circumventing Prop 22. The two sides met for talks over recess, three people familiar with the conversations told Playbook. An agreement that provides drivers with some benefits isn't out of the question yet, though there aren't any clear signs a deal is imminent. 'Until drivers have a union, they will not have a seat at the table,' SEIU Executive Director Tia Orr told Playbook. Antisemitism debate: Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire has gotten deeply involved in trying to save a proposal aiming to address antisemitism in schools. The bill hit an impasse heading into the recess, with legislative leadership agreeing to delay a measure that would penalize schools that create antisemitic learning environments and restrict what they teach about the Israel-Gaza conflict. The proposal faces fierce opposition from the California Teachers Association, school administrators and progressive groups that claim it is overly punitive, censors criticism of Israel and creates standards that do not exist for other active conflicts. But it is the Legislative Jewish Caucus' only priority bill this year, and McGuire pledged to pass it before the end of session. Negotiations are continuing between the teachers' union, legislative ethnic caucuses and Jewish advocates as proponents try to address broad concerns that include complaint procedures and how antisemitism is defined. Dueling charter bills: Lawmakers backing competing measures aimed at increasing oversight of non-traditional charter schools are continuing to hash out a compromise, meeting regularly over the recess. Assembly Education Chair Al Muratsuchi's union-backed AB 84 seeks sweeping regulations on non-classroom charters, but was pared down before the break as charter schools pushed state Sen. Angelique Ashby's SB 414, which would implement fewer restrictions. Charter school advocates have been lobbying lawmakers over recess to chip away at Muratsuchi's broad proposal, specifically around an effort to require credentialed employees to approve funding for enrichment activities. The bill currently calls for increased auditing and financial reporting requirements and would create a new Office of the Education Inspector General. Ashby said in a committee hearing that she would reject a final measure that is 'so punitive that all charter schools take a haircut.' — with help from Eric He, Emily Schultheis, Tyler Katzenberger, Blake Jones, Camille von Kaenel and Alex Nieves IT'S THURSDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to lholden@ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY OFF AND RUNNING: California's leading politicians and its most prominent labor unions put on a show of unity today as they gathered to launch a campaign for a new House map, our Jeremy B. White and Emily Schultheis report. 'We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear, district by district, all across this country,' Newsom said. 'We need to stand up. Not just California: Other states need to stand up.' The themes of that likely special election came into focus today: Rally attendees spoke at a podium emblazoned with an 'Election Rigging Response Act' sign and held 'defend democracy' placards. Details also emerged about the campaign's backers. A newly unveiled campaign website lists House Democrats' principal super PAC and Democratic megadonor Bill Bloomfield as initial funders. But victory at the ballot box is far from assured. Newsom's pollster has circulated an internal survey showing the measure starting with only a narrow majority, and polling from POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab found voters overwhelmingly support keeping the state's independent redistricting commission. (The nascent ballot measure would leave the commission in place but effectively override its work by creating new maps to boost Democrats through 2030.) CA V. TRUMP OF ALL PLACES: Border Patrol agents turned up this morning outside the downtown Los Angeles venue where Newsom and other Democrats were rallying behind the redistricting campaign and denouncing Trump. 'Right outside at this exact moment are dozens and dozens of ICE agents … people are scared,' Newsom said during the event. 'People are fearful.' A video taken by witnesses shows bystanders yelling at masked agents in military fatigues standing inside a white unmarked van. Newsom's press office shared an X post with a video showing dozens of Border Patrol agents walking around on the street alongside Sector Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, who has taken a leading role in the Los Angeles immigration crackdown. 'BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!' the post said, continuing Newsom's mocking use of Trump's trademark all-caps missives. Bovino told NBC LA that agents were conducting roving patrols and that they had taken one person into custody. The incident drew a quick response from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who showed up to the scene and answered questions from reporters. 'There's no way this was a coincidence,' she said. 'This was widely publicized that the governor and many of our other elected officials were having a press conference here to talk about redistricting, and they decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor's face.' — with help from Melanie and Jeremy WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY — Some local officials and advocates are concerned that Trump, who has appointed himself head of an Olympics task force, will take action against homeless people when Los Angeles hosts the event in 2028. (Los Angeles Times) — The Trump administration's tariff on Indian imports has led to increased prices at restaurants and grocery stores in the Bay Area. (San Francisco Chronicle) AROUND THE STATE — The Vista City Council voted to spend $3.5 million to increase annual maintenance of Wave Waterpark through 2035. (San Diego Union-Tribune) — Increased surveillance in the majority Latino neighborhood of Oak View in Huntington Beach has left residents with mixed feelings behind the city's motives. (LAist) — Some Palo Alto residents are pushing back on a plan to replace a former restaurant with an apartment building. (The Mercury News) — compiled by Juliann Ventura
