$9 million in Blueprint funding in jeopardy for MCPS due to failure to meet AIB deadlines

[Anonymous]

SOURCE: https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-montgomery-county-mcps-blueprint-future-accountability-implementation-requirements-governor-wes-moore-school-district-aib-executive-director-rachel-hise#

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — At the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board’s (AIB) Nov. 21 meeting, members approved 15 school districts that had submitted the required materials for their blueprint plans. That approval allows those school systems to receive 25% of Blueprint funds for Fiscal Year 2025.

Baltimore City and Montgomery County were not approved for funding and instead, received a warning from the board for a lack of compliance.

7News spoke to former Montgomery County Executive Isiah“Ike” Leggett who now chairs the AIB.

“Montgomery County had not completed its negotiation with the local union. It is my expectation that they will do that very quickly and if they are able to do so probably by December 11 we should approve them,” Leggett said.

7News asked AIB Executive Director Rachel Hise how much in Blueprint funding Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is entitled to this fiscal year.

Hise explained if the proper paperwork had been submitted, the school system would have been approved to receive nearly $9 million in blueprint funding.

We reached out to MCPS and the Montgomery County Education Association to find out why the proper blueprint plans have not been submitted.

MCPS explained that “a tentative agreement” has been reached with the teachers’ union and once it’s ratified, the agreement will be submitted to the AIB.

This is embarrassing. And given that Taylor has been here since July, I don't see how he can blame this on anyone else. What the hell is going on here? His tenure was supposed to be a fresh start.

[Anonymous]

What does the union have to agree to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-montgomery-county-mcps-blueprint-future-accountability-implementation-requirements-governor-wes-moore-school-district-aib-executive-director-rachel-hise#

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — At the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board’s (AIB) Nov. 21 meeting, members approved 15 school districts that had submitted the required materials for their blueprint plans. That approval allows those school systems to receive 25% of Blueprint funds for Fiscal Year 2025.

Baltimore City and Montgomery County were not approved for funding and instead, received a warning from the board for a lack of compliance.

7News spoke to former Montgomery County Executive Isiah“Ike” Leggett who now chairs the AIB.

“Montgomery County had not completed its negotiation with the local union. It is my expectation that they will do that very quickly and if they are able to do so probably by December 11 we should approve them,” Leggett said.

7News asked AIB Executive Director Rachel Hise how much in Blueprint funding Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is entitled to this fiscal year.

Hise explained if the proper paperwork had been submitted, the school system would have been approved to receive nearly $9 million in blueprint funding.

We reached out to MCPS and the Montgomery County Education Association to find out why the proper blueprint plans have not been submitted.

MCPS explained that “a tentative agreement” has been reached with the teachers’ union and once it’s ratified, the agreement will be submitted to the AIB.

This is embarrassing. And given that Taylor has been here since July, I don't see how he can blame this on anyone else. What the hell is going on here? His tenure was supposed to be a fresh start.

So basically you know nothing about it but feel fit to judge

[Anonymous]

A better article that isn’t just click bait

https://marylandmatters.org/2024/11/21/blueprint-board-approves-another-15-school-district-plans/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A better article that isn’t just click bait

https://marylandmatters.org/2024/11/21/blueprint-board-approves-another-15-school-district-plans/

So the largest school systems across the state are still in line for approval. Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better article that isn’t just click bait

https://marylandmatters.org/2024/11/21/blueprint-board-approves-another-15-school-district-plans/

So the largest school systems across the state are still in line for approval. Nothing to see here.

So you’re going to ignore the fact that MCPS was officially warned for failure to comply with AIB requirements and pretend like everything is ok? You are really delusional.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like MCEA is holding it up. Surprise, surprise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better article that isn’t just click bait

https://marylandmatters.org/2024/11/21/blueprint-board-approves-another-15-school-district-plans/

So the largest school systems across the state are still in line for approval. Nothing to see here.

+1. They have until December 11th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better article that isn’t just click bait

https://marylandmatters.org/2024/11/21/blueprint-board-approves-another-15-school-district-plans/

So the largest school systems across the state are still in line for approval. Nothing to see here.

+1. They have until December 11th.

They were officially warned and chastised by the AIB. Y’all have seriously selective reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like MCEA is holding it up. Surprise, surprise.

I would not be quick to lay blame at MCEA’s feet. It could very well be that April Key sucks at her job and fumbled here and is the source of the delay.

It certainly wouldn’t be her first time mucking things up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better article that isn’t just click bait

https://marylandmatters.org/2024/11/21/blueprint-board-approves-another-15-school-district-plans/

So the largest school systems across the state are still in line for approval. Nothing to see here.

+1. They have until December 11th.

They were officially warned and chastised by the AIB. Y’all have seriously selective reading comprehension.

Ike Leggett is not going to prevent MoCo from getting funding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like MCEA is holding it up. Surprise, surprise.

I would not be quick to lay blame at MCEA’s feet. It could very well be that April Key sucks at her job and fumbled here and is the source of the delay.

It certainly wouldn’t be her first time mucking things up.

Or it could just be that like most things it requires time. Then you have the introduction of a new Super and also negotiation and approval from the unions. MCPS didn’t blame anyone. And anyone who has been following along with the Blueprint knows that MCPS has been making significant progress on the work and providing updates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like MCEA is holding it up. Surprise, surprise.

I would not be quick to lay blame at MCEA’s feet. It could very well be that April Key sucks at her job and fumbled here and is the source of the delay.

It certainly wouldn’t be her first time mucking things up.

The article said the union was the hold-up. It's obviously referring to MCEA.

[Anonymous]

As far as I can see, foot-dragging on this is a good thing. No one from the state has explained how anyone is supposed to fund and staff this pie-in-the-sky Blueprint mandate. The 25% funding release is probably about 2% of what would actually be needed. The legislature can tell everyone all it wants to have universal pre-K and class sizes of 15 and magically include every special education student in gen ed and make them achieve a diploma. The paper that's written on, and the paper the school systems are writing to claim how they'll achieve it by making 2+2 equal 5, are worthless.

The AIB can squawk all it wants and it won't change those facts. It's unrealistic and underfunded. People have been saying this for awhile. Now it'll magically be OK if we write some plans on paper? Uh-huh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as I can see, foot-dragging on this is a good thing. No one from the state has explained how anyone is supposed to fund and staff this pie-in-the-sky Blueprint mandate. The 25% funding release is probably about 2% of what would actually be needed. The legislature can tell everyone all it wants to have universal pre-K and class sizes of 15 and magically include every special education student in gen ed and make them achieve a diploma. The paper that's written on, and the paper the school systems are writing to claim how they'll achieve it by making 2+2 equal 5, are worthless.

The AIB can squawk all it wants and it won't change those facts. It's unrealistic and underfunded. People have been saying this for awhile. Now it'll magically be OK if we write some plans on paper? Uh-huh.

You’re saying this but wasn’t the MCPS BOE in favor of overturning Hogan’s veto when the Blueprint was passed?

Hogan warned that the Blueprint was unsustainable and overly ambitious but MCPS BOE was all in on the Blueprint. MCPS can’t cry now that the bill is due, they voted for the Blueprint!