16-05-2025
Blueprint board approves joint plan on teacher preparation programs
Blueprint for Maryland's Future Accountability and Implementation Board meets online May 15. (Screenshot)
The board overseeing implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future approved a plan Thursday for the state Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission to collaborate on programs certifying teachers.
Approval by the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB), which oversees the multibillion-dollar plan, comes amid an ongoing shortages of teachers, in Maryland and nationwide.
In January, the Blueprint board cited the teacher shortage as the reason behind its recommendation that the state delay the start of collaborative time, which gives teachers more out-of-classroom time to plan, work with other teachers, analyze student data and more. In order to implement it, education leaders have said it would require the hiring of at least 12,000 additional teachers by next year.
The General Assembly eventually approved Blueprint legislation last month to delay the collaborative time requirement, but kept the funding in place for students.
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As for the joint plan with the department and commission, the Blueprint board outlined two strengths: It leverages existing structures for state and national accreditation to evaluate preparation programs and higher education institutions; and provides a detailed schedule of activities and how Blueprint requirements will be integrated.
According to a Jan. 31 document signed by State Superintendent Carey Wright and Higher Education Secretary Sanjay Rai, the review of educator preparation programs at various institutions would be done in stages starting this fiscal year through fiscal 2030.
A board summary in 'areas for growth and improvement' urged the agencies to complete their assessments much sooner, and to integrate self-reporting measures and coordinate those with Blueprint requirements to annually collect data. The department and commission agreed and will report their first set of data by Oct. 1, 2026.
'Receiving this self-reporting on an annual basis will allow us to monitor progress until we receive those accreditation reviews,' said AIB Executive Director Rachel Hise. 'Staff with be reviewing all of that and sharing it with the board.'
The AIB approved the plan unanimously. Board member Jennifer Lynch, who works as an associate vice chancellor for education and engagement at the University System of Maryland, recused herself from the vote.
The AIB already approved school system Blueprint plans earlier this year, but state law requires the board to have various state agencies develop implementation plans that are elements of the joint agencies' plan coincides with pillar two of the Blueprint, to hire and retain high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders.
Also Thursday, the AIB announced dates next month for public meetings for anyone who wants to recommend changes to the overall Blueprint comprehensive plan. State law requires that any changes to the plan must be made annually by Aug. 1.
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A meeting on on college and career readiness facets of the plan will be held June 17 from 3-4:30 p.m., followed by the meeting on high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders from 5-6 p.m. The meeting on providing more resources for students to be successful will be held June 24 from 4-5:30 p.m.
No date has been set to discuss early childhood education or the governance and accountability aspects of the Blueprint.
Suggestions can be submitted online here.
In other business, Hise announced that board member Mara Doss plans to resign June 30. Doss, a former associate vice president for teaching, learning and student success at Prince George's Community College, had one year left in her term. Appointments are set to expire July 1 for board members Laura Stapleton and Joseph Manko.
Stapleton, who chairs the Human Development and Quantitative Methodology Department at the University of Maryland, College Park, said Thursday she doesn't plan to come back.
'I will not be putting my name in the hat, so there will definitely be [a] vacancy for those folks out there who are considering applying,' she said. 'It's not a waste of time to apply. It's an exciting opportunity, and I encourage folks to put their name out there.'
An AIB nominating committee will solicit applications for those who want to serve on the seven-member board, including Manko if he wants to reapply.
Hise said the committee is scheduled to meet next week to announce a timeline on when and how applicants can apply.
