Gov. Wes Moore proposed changes to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future aimed at ensuring the plan is effective, not an attempt to save money amid Maryland’s looming $3 billion budget deficit, said state Superintendent Carey Wright.

Moore’s Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, which he sent to the Maryland General Assembly Tuesday, would reshape key parts of the Blueprint, the state’s multibillion-dollar public education plan.

The bill would temporarily pause giving teachers more “collaborative time” for professional development and planning outside the classroom and freeze funding for community schools, which are located in low-income communities and receive grants to provide services such as counseling, family support, and crisis care for two years.

The Blueprint is a 10-year plan to reform Maryland education that was passed by the legislature after being vetoed by former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, in 2020. The law increases state education funding by $3.8 billion annually until 2032, totaling roughly $30 billion in the first 10 years.

The Blueprint focuses on teacher advancement, expanding universal preschool, college and career readiness, community schools, special education and bilingual education.

Maryland is facing a projected $3 billion deficit, that if left unaddressed, could grow to $6 billion by 2030. Last week, Moore, a Democrat, detailed wide-reaching cuts in an attempt to address the shortfall.

Moore’s education leaders say the changes to the Blueprint are not cost-saving measures.

“Our goal is not necessarily to implement every strategy of the Blueprint exactly as it was written four years ago. Our goal is to build a world class public education system, one that ranks at the top of the country,” Wright said in an interview with the Capital Gazette. “We think the Blueprint points us in the right direction, but that we must continue to be adapt to the realities of public education today”

There are roughly 63,000 teachers in Maryland, but the state needs 15,000 more to make expanding planning time feasible, Wright said. Many districts are struggling to fill existing teaching positions. Six thousand of the state’s teachersonly have conditional licenses, and more than 10% of classrooms in Maryland are covered by substitute teachers, many of whom are not licensed.

Moore wants to use ways besides the Blueprint to address the teacher shortage. His budget includes an ad campaign to recruit teachers, relocation bonuses to attract out-of-state teachers and money for a school for aspiring principals.

Wright says the department is working on signing an interstate teacher mobility compact, which would let teachers carry their license between 10 states, including Alabama and Utah, and “grow your own” initiatives such as apprenticeships and residencies.

Since the start of the Blueprint, Maryland teachers have been guaranteed a starting salary of $60,000 and the number of certified teachers in Maryland has tripled since 2019.

The Maryland State Education Association, the statewide teachers union, argues Maryland is taking the right steps to solves a complicated problem.

“A problem that was decades in the making couldn’t be solved in a year or two and requires action at the state and local levels,” said Paul Lemle, president of the Maryland State Education Association, in a statement. “Together with the state legislature and governor, we’re building a better educator pipeline that inspires, attracts and supports aspiring educators.”

For Joshua Michael, president of the Maryland Board of Education, the Department of Education remains committed to the Blueprint, but part of its success will be adapting to the realities of 2025, like the teacher shortage.

“Our goal is to build a world-class public education system, one that ranks at the top of the country, and we think the Blueprint points us in the right direction,” said Michael. “If his work was a cost-saving initiative, he would have just put it in the budget bill,”

Maryland has 621 community schools. Last year the state spent $363 million on community schools, an amount that increased by 36% this year. Moore wants to freeze funding at its current level next year.

“We believe this budget, as written, reflects a deep commitment to our schools that serve our students who live in poverty,” said Michael.

Whether the proposed changes to the Blueprint will happen is up to lawmakers as they prepare to vote on Moore’s budget.

At a news conference Jan. 16 laying out their priorities for the session, the Legislative Black Caucus said they would fight to restore the frozen community school funding. Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, chair of the caucus, argued “the core” of Blueprint is ensuring that the students most in need get extra resources.

“Our key Blueprint priority as a Black caucus has been the issue of community schools,” Wilkins said. “If you’re talking about pausing or cutting funding, we’re talking about cutting those supports to those students and to those schools that are the most in need. So that is where our concern lies.”

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