Blueprint plan is destined to fail

Colin Pascal is 110% correct in his recent commentary regarding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and its high cost to taxpayers (“No fixing Maryland’s economic challenges without a hard look at Blueprint,” March 23).

The Blueprint is flawed beyond belief (sorry, education administrators and teacher unions). Years ago, I sent an email to Brit Kirwan who chaired the Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education that developed the educational reform plan and asked him two questions.

First, where are the “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) objectives? His answer was that an accountability board would make sure progress was being made. Second, I told him I didn’t see the term “parents” in the document and, after all, they theoretically control 85-to-90% of their children’s time from birth to age 18 given kids are in school perhaps 10-to-15% of the time. He ignored that observation.

How can the Blueprint not have annual specific objectives that can be measured and results depicted in a few paragraphs? If, for example, there’s an annual expenditure of $4 billion, why shouldn’t math skills improve by a corresponding five percentage points a year? Same for English.

All I read is that students will improve and specific dollars will be spent. This would never be approved in the corporate world.

Maybe The Baltimore Sun should remind its readers of the “Thornton Plan,” also known as the “Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act” that proved a boondoggle after it was passed in 2002. I think the financially illiterate state legislature approved a lot of additional funding then with negligible results. The Blueprint is likely to produce the same results — while our taxes increase big time over the next few years.

— Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville

Maryland is (mostly) vaccinated but world needs a boost

While I’m worried about measles cases in the United States, it brought me great relief to learn that 96% of Maryland is vaccinated against measles (“Health officials say confirmed measles cases in Md. are cause for caution, not panic,” March 24). As the article pointed out, however, global immunizations and outbreaks still have the power to impact Maryland and that’s why I want to add global funding for vaccines to this conversation.

Plenty of countries want to make immunization a priority but lack the infrastructure and funding to do so because of centuries of colonialism where the Global North exploits the Global South, leaving developing countries last in line to get lifesaving medical technologies like vaccines.

Vaccinations provided by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have saved about 19 million children’s lives over the past 25 years. The U.S. contributes 13% of its budget. I’ve advocated for robust Gavi funding since I was in elementary school, volunteering with my family for RESULTS, an anti-poverty advocacy organization. Loss of U.S. support could mean 75 million children do not get routine vaccinations in the next five years — and that over 1.2 million children die as a result.

Yet, the Trump administration is determined to completely terminate U.S. funding for Gavi. Congress must step in and ensure robust funding for Gavi. I especially call on Maryland’s U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to advocate for global health funding in fiscal 2025 negotiations.

— Yara Changyit-Levin, Baltimore

Harris lamely backs Hegseth: What a shock

“Look, the guy wore the uniform. He deserves to be Secretary of Defense.”

Of course, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris defends the Trump administration’s every move, but standing behind Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his handling of sensitive military information in a group chat with that? He can’t come up with something better (“Maryland Rep. Andy Harris defends Hegseth, Musk in fiery town hall,” March 26)?

Please spare us any more “news” about this Trump mouthpiece unless it really is news.

— Charles Rammellkamp, Baltimore