[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6358044,"mediaKeyId","2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256","parentId",2212809,"title","Eastern Shore superintendents present targeted changes to Maryland 'Blueprint' implementation","audioSeconds",1190,"startMs",4294000,"endMs",5484000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256&start=4294&end=5484","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256/thumbnail_4294000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6358044/Maryland/Eastern-Shore-superintendents-present-targeted-changes-to-Maryland-Blueprint-implementation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358044-06fd4f112c151e063e050e0359d118fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770749305&Signature=LXxAwU899VscVMb~Eci1Z0Z3~Na1pmTVm0B3s3X~DFi1vzNM7-dR1niDr1VgjwwW9o4guSE083o~pK7kaOvd7K-gRfDsDr665Zddd3dudC~mwpZqY35ppwLl8yNpG4hndHI34Co9YMC1Od1jWczUOKfCh7J7hhaWHDutaf94qAMLqkDrSmrfSlcnMiyOe3bt~EeuafTcDu82sZpj94G2iPg4A32GJzjdkGcaLB6fNMaRV8kb2FsSKWddsOYaoi2T1cp27fTEW2FhbKpQ1m~m3pnFfGBH7c3pU5sIWHFOxou9VkvlLSdgClE4YIx20IyNFznSnvloiwbOknbJ3-INyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MGA - House Other","date","2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","article","Superintendents from all nine Eastern Shore public-school systems presented the delegation with a pillar-by-pillar review of Blueprint for Maryland’s Future implementation on Jan. 31, 2025, and urged the General Assembly delegation to pursue targeted legislative changes and administrative action to reduce burdens on small and rural systems.

Dr. Derek Simmons, president of the Eastern Shore Maryland Educational Consortium and superintendent of Caroline County Public Schools, presented regional statistics and a set of recommendations tied to the blueprint’s five pillars. He told delegates the Shore served 63,845 students in 2023–24 and is seeing shifts in student need: the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals rose from 45% to 56%, multilingual learners rose from 5% to 7%, and special‑education enrollment rose from 11% to 13%.

On early childhood (Pillar 1), ESMEC asked the state to allow local education agencies (LEAs) to focus public‑school expansion on Tier‑1 four‑year‑olds for the next four years and to remove a required participation percentage for mixed‑delivery (private provider) arrangements. The consortium argued the state should take primary responsibility for cultivating private‑provider capacity so LEAs can focus on public expansion.

Pillar 2 recommendations on teachers and leaders stressed the need for sustainable funding for salary increases, career ladders and professional development. Dr. Jamelle Thompson warned of ongoing teacher shortages in special education and STEM, and the superintendents asked MSDE to revisit mandates that require principals and assistant principals to spend a set amount of time teaching in classrooms, saying that requirement diverts administrators from core supervision and system leadership work.

For college and career readiness (Pillar 3), the Shore highlighted a 29% increase in dual‑enrollment participation and growth in apprenticeships (from seven to 147 students regionwide). Superintendents requested immediate LEA discretion to end pilot partnerships a year early so districts can reallocate resources to pressing tuition and ancillary costs.

Under Pillar 4 (resources for student success), the consortium reported progress expanding behavioral‑health access through coordinated service providers and two regional hubs. It urged a study of differentiated special‑education funding levels (basic/intense/complex) — a structure used in many states — and recommended extending Traditional Supplemental Instruction (TSI) funding beyond FY2026.

On Pillar 5 (governance and accountability), the superintendents described administrative burdens from multiple and overlapping financial reports to MSDE, the AIB and the Department of Legislative Services. They asked that the 75% spending requirement be applied at the district level rather than per school and requested streamlined reporting and more technical support for smaller districts.

Superintendents also raised capital‑improvement program (CIP) concerns: the Interagency Committee on School Construction (IAC) is increasingly asking counties to front‑fund projects to keep schedules, a burden many rural counties cannot sustain. Superintendent Jeff Lawson asked delegates to push for more nuance in legislative responses to blueprint critiques and to consider amendments that address rural implementation realities rather than wholesale repeal.

The delegation committed to follow up on the consortium’s prioritized legislative proposals and to press for local flexibility and funding protections in Annapolis.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","EAS Committee Session, 1/31/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendents from all nine Eastern Shore public-school systems presented the delegation with a pillar-by-pillar review of Blueprint for Maryland’s Future implementation on Jan. 31, 2025, and urged the General Assembly delegation to pursue targeted legislative changes and administrative action to reduce burdens on small and rural systems.","taxTitle","Eastern Shore, Delegation Committees, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15626,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6358049,"Eastern Shore colleges outline workforce training, capital needs and enrollment recovery",275,523000,798000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256&start=523&end=798","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256/thumbnail_523000.jpg","/articles/6358049/Maryland/Eastern-Shore-colleges-outline-workforce-training-capital-needs-and-enrollment-recovery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358049-71a3a978a43f297c2ccaca97566d507d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770749305&Signature=EDnAMXUnSNByA1fddUX9FzH3ZcdkZCs9lx-uBXhwRg9TPB98ZToFOejPfKzqwSnJ1faH77HMOckAgUVgBZpyUeKPBgAPiHLKb6y0PL~VulYeR4PwF7VOAbMNDbLYInhTEJ9ENW6KGIvYDOHzhPuQIc8D8YbgPG4HlF3fJ1E5ALTVLi9m7Uw-oaqYDBNiBhhOpERSNywRNkk4CIky~YB6axIJCw-qrONtqHNs3241UH4KcRINiYeF~hzo5KtTZUE9RJQSQH4PzQx4rBJV0pTFPIDZxWIuwOJPxK2AUPhAnC9riGC7Lg7k7-Z5COj26Qdv3H~Sk1kZi8mxvCct4AJkIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders from the Eastern Shore’s colleges and universities told the delegation on Jan. 31, 2025, that enrollment is recovering after the pandemic and that institutions are expanding workforce training and seeking state capital and operating support to meet regional needs.

The group — which included presidents or representatives from Cecil College, Chesapeake College, Salisbury University, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Washington College, and Warwick Community College — described new training programs, mobile equipment for trade training, and specific capital projects that would increase local capacity for health care, skilled trades and cultural programming.

Mary Bolt, president of Cecil College, said the college’s accelerated nursing program (a three‑year, one‑year accelerated cohort for students with prerequisites completed) has a third cohort with more than 38 applicants. She said Cecil will open a cybersecurity range in April and noted partnerships producing utility-worker training where Delmarva paid for both training and stipends for nine students who completed utility industry certifications.

Salisbury University President Lynn Laprie described the SURGE program to support small-business growth for minorities and veterans and said the university secured $2 million in Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) funding and $12 million in private donations for a proposed downtown Salisbury performing‑arts center. She and other university leaders urged continued state operating and capital support to expand nursing and health‑care training capacity.

UMCES President Fernando Miralles Villamil summarized a FEMA‑funded natural shoreline flood‑mitigation and living‑shoreline optimization project on the Choptank River; he said the federal program will fund analysis, design and construction work over three years with an expected project budget of about $16 million.

UMES President Heidi Anderson reiterated the university’s growth and focus on STEM and health professions and renewed the campus request for development of a veterinary program to retain Maryland students who are otherwise leaving state for training. She said UMES has seen four consecutive years of fall enrollment growth and emphasized the university’s HBCU-designated priorities.

Washington College President Mike Sasolski and Chesapeake College representatives described an innovation hub and a mobile welding lab. Sasolski said a Wareheim School of Business will be seeded with a $15 million private gift and that collaborative projects — including an innovation plant in Chestertown and a mobile innovation lab — are designed to support entrepreneurship and workforce development across the upper Shore.

Warwick Community College President Deb Casey noted demand and wait lists for welding and power‑line utility programming; she said Warwick was selected for a $5.7 million Disability Innovations grant that will partner with school districts, juvenile justice and police academies to build alternative pipelines into education.

College leaders repeatedly raised concern about the state budget climate and asked delegates to restore hold‑harmless funding levels for community colleges and to protect capital‑project funding. Several presidents described specific proposed capital projects on the governor’s list (Queen Anne’s Tech building, Salisbury performing arts center, UMES veterinary school planning) and asked for continued advocacy in Annapolis.

Provenance: the colleges’ presentations begin with Cecil College’s remarks and conclude with closing comments from college presidents and the delegation’s thanks.

","Presidents from community colleges and universities on the Eastern Shore updated the delegation on enrollment gains, new workforce programs — including mobile welding and cybersecurity ranges — and capital requests for facilities such as a veterinary program at UMES and a Queen Anne's Tech building.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6358055,"Federal delegation warns of funding uncertainty, outlines Eastern Shore priorities",2535,122000,2657000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256&start=122&end=2657","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256/thumbnail_122000.jpg","/articles/6358055/Maryland/Federal-delegation-warns-of-funding-uncertainty-outlines-Eastern-Shore-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358055-e4db97c78cabcd8c53ed074873221128/orig.mp4?Expires=1770749305&Signature=Ti2ehT8LPKpxGytsBZl5ASpaspSQf~zu-ByTEEwC942mCqtQ6YHAIZgyMaSbzf6uYwqnNslJHKNdwTmja2~l3jEIi03yBTYg1HbwdKsNAGp9MlAv~OHgq4x3jOJg4JI0wtGB-gBaTy0JKNsQKcsGsQl9DjXCPmcGO2w~a1uj00eVRByjTo8nKo4syglDHf0vrZo13WD0g2X~HK-DLGiRyIhKeTvGA6psGPINnzDc5zqdZr6lL9qjww~E28bPfZ4t7VXrFhOKFOgHXEf-LtT-afmkDnFWqfiIKWWrCMs0me8ztKBZ6KvBey4tDYpA8giz863ydr2UhWVYHivVwNTJYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An afternoon session of the Eastern Shore delegation on Jan. 31, 2025, featured U.S. Senator Alsar Brooks and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, who briefed state lawmakers and regional leaders on federal issues affecting the Eastern Shore, including a recent fatal plane collision, agricultural disease support, seafood market and labor challenges, and uncertainty around federal grant payments.

The appearance brought federal-level attention to local priorities at a time of heightened uncertainty. Delegates and agency staff pressed senators and congressional staff for clarity about grants and federal programs relied on by Shore communities.

Senator Alsar Brooks opened her remarks by expressing condolences and confirming coordination with federal partners after the plane collision at Reagan National. \"We are learning now that at least 4 of them were Marylanders,\" Brooks said, noting search-and-recovery work and interagency coordination. She described her committee assignments — Environment and Public Works; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Aging; and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions — as places she will pursue Eastern Shore priorities, including Chesapeake Bay protection and transportation funding.

Senator Chris Van Hollen, who joined later, framed several region-specific federal issues. On the Reagan National collision he said, \"This is clearly an avoidable collision. And so the question is what went wrong?\" He urged a transparent National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

Van Hollen discussed agricultural and seafood matters he and other Maryland lawmakers are pursuing in Washington. He said federal partners are working to ensure poultry producers affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza can receive compensation beyond existing APHIS programs. On blue catfish, an invasive species the Eastern Shore has encouraged markets to eat, Van Hollen said the delegation has sought funding for overtime inspectors and processing capacity so fish processors can operate when needed; he added that moving inspection authority from USDA to FDA was explored but not advanced and that, for now, \"the consensus ... is we should just work to make the USDA system function much better.\" He said the delegation is also pressing the U.S. Trade Representative to address what they view as unfair Venezuelan crab imports that undercut Maryland crab processors.

Delegates pressed Van Hollen about H-2B temporary-worker visas that seasonal seafood processors rely on; he said the current lottery system is fragile and that lawmakers are seeking longer-term fixes.

A topic that drew immediate concern across the room was an Office of Management and Budget memorandum that temporarily halted certain discretionary payments. Jackie, a staff member in Congressman Andy Harris’s office, told the delegation that payments to individual entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security were not affected but that many discretionary grants — including some Head Start, fire grants and other community programs — were caught up in an overly broad agency response. Van Hollen said lawsuits and public pushback prompted OMB to withdraw the memo, but he warned that confusion and short-term disruptions had already hit recipients.

Van Hollen also warned that about $40 million in Eastern Shore-directed federal projects are at risk because the federal government remains under a continuing resolution rather than a finalized appropriations package. \"If we don't get a full budget,\" he said, \"those over $40,000,000 in projects for the Eastern Shore will go away.\" He urged local officials to identify priorities so lawmakers can defend them during the appropriations process.

He described continued federal investment successes as well: money from the bipartisan infrastructure law for broadband and airport projects, and ongoing support for Wallops Flight Facility launches that employ Maryland residents.

Several delegates asked how to help constituents who report stalled federal grant payments or confusion about agency portals. Jackie advised local leaders to forward specific inquiries to congressional offices so staff can press relevant federal agencies for case-by-case answers. Van Hollen urged anyone seeing disruptions to report stories to his office; he said an initial outreach produced hundreds of submissions in one day.

Ending the briefing, both senators and congressional staff urged close follow-up with their regional directors and staff. Van Hollen said his regional director, Alisa Hastings, remains the point of contact for sustained engagement on localized federal issues.

Provenance: first mention of senator Brooks’ remarks appears in the transcript at the segment where Senator Alsar Brooks addresses the delegation and condolences for the plane victims were shared; the last related remarks in the transcript are from Senator Van Hollen’s summary about budget risk and the continuing resolution.

","U.S. senators and delegation staff briefed the Eastern Shore delegation on immediate federal concerns — a fatal plane collision, grant-payment confusion after an OMB memo, farm and seafood support, and billions in projects held up by the federal budget process.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6358043,"Community action agencies warn rising need and shrinking per-household energy assistance",2959,3766000,6725000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256&start=3766&end=6725","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2212809-b7e73ccbe811767f5feea2c851877256/thumbnail_3766000.jpg","/articles/6358043/Maryland/Community-action-agencies-warn-rising-need-and-shrinking-per-household-energy-assistance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358043-68f219ca10cd41c631084c699d9114c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770749305&Signature=F7GgEYhbdVZWmUJM1zjP3IstlSgs8UbZFzxAs8t17gxu2pslz3138D4jUom035fZ3XVeyhm~sCMWvVRyCX48O9kvkTD~jL6SwZRh7cmwXsPSShxStk47t5yGU2MEDIi9exNmwm8ruPmia9nbIPp1rkf~xtQrAK6rn6io8HX6JSsUZaiOhF39wrcYNxtCcNwgtnJWb30EtKVC8~LXtPXWoSmrIvwYJ-rdKMx6rhCgwUva3Ytw~~vsXYby1~k0F6thOSBAyETEhcU0sqYP5BX9tAWKesqSeZWHAop0QUOO8cx7XBgKUJXzVomwhYuNSh-0M3w-uFtnOoB09rd-0CZtkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Community action agencies serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore told the delegation on Jan. 31, 2025, that rising energy costs, growing homelessness and reductions in program benefit amounts are stretching agency capacity and increasing risk for vulnerable households.

Michelle Nichols, program director for Delmarva Community Services, told delegates agencies are seeing more homeless families and working households who cannot afford rent. She said senior-program funding reductions have forced local providers to seek private donations to restore days of service. \"We know these are challenging times, and in particular for our low and moderate income individuals and families,\" Nichols said.

Tyrone Chase, executive director of Shore Up, said the agency serves tens of thousands of individuals across the Shore and that his organization is experiencing both higher caseloads and smaller per‑household energy payments. Chase said average energy assistance benefits have dropped from about $1,200 per household a few years ago to roughly $600 per household in recent allocations, while utility and bulk‑fuel costs have risen. \"If the funding is cut ... we will see casualties in the household,\" Chase warned, outlining risks such as unsafe generator use or other dangerous coping measures.

Other agency leaders echoed housing and utility pain points and said federal and state aid that formerly filled gaps is less reliable. Marilyn Neal of Talbot County's Neighborhood Service Center said hotel and shelter placements for unsheltered residents depend on fragile local funding and strong county support; she said funding shortfalls disproportionately impact seniors and people with disabilities who have limited income and mobility.

Agency leaders asked the delegation to advocate for stable funding and to resist measures that would discourage agencies from contacting legislators about program shortfalls. Senator Mounts and other delegates reminded agencies they have the right to raise funding issues with elected officials.

Provenance: community action agencies’ remarks begin with Delmarva Community Services’ report and concluded with agency representatives’ requests for legislative advocacy and county support.

","Eastern Shore community action agencies told the delegation that demand for energy assistance and homelessness help has grown while per-household energy benefit amounts have fallen, straining service capacity and raising concerns about vulnerable households.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Eastern Shore superintendents present targeted changes to Maryland 'Blueprint' implementation

Eastern Shore colleges outline workforce training, capital needs and enrollment recovery

Federal delegation warns of funding uncertainty, outlines Eastern Shore priorities

Community action agencies warn rising need and shrinking per-household energy assistance