Now is time to keep communication going with legislators ASAP all week long. They are making decisions over next few weeks and we MUST flood their offices with emails, phone calls and visits or their office of time allows. We have to make our voices heard. MSCCA is fighting hard for our members and the whole early childhood community, for children and families that need our advocacy too. Download our app for quick access to important updates and subscribe to our alerts. Learn more about our alerts here. Contact your representative: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/members/district
Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – Implementation (Policy Area One – Prekindergarten)
House Ways & Means Committee / House Appropriations Committee Senate Budget & Taxation Committee / Senate Education, Health & Environmental Affairs Committee
Position: SUPPORT w/ Amendments
Our coalition is comprised of 7 associations and organizations that together represent 10,000 entities that currently provide quality early childhood education to approximately 150,000 Maryland children.
This coalition supports the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future as a means to achieving a world-class education system for all Maryland students. Specifically, community-based private providers are excited to partner with the state on expansion of prekindergarten to Maryland three and four-year-olds. We offer below the general provisions that we believe are necessary to serve those students through the proposed mixed-delivery partnership.
Please find attached our suggested amendments.
The Coalition supports:
- A goal of at least 50% of slots utilizing community-based providers.
- Establish a sliding scale payment system to be in effect by FY 2023.
- Authority, oversight, and a funding model wherein the money flows to all public and eligible private expansion sites from MSDE.
- Alternative pathways to teacher certification must be created for those currently working in communitybased programs and community-based settings should be allowed to hire teachers that hold a bachelor’s degree and pursue certification, as allowed in public schools.
- Pre-K Expansion sites to be eligible to participate at EXCELS Level 3 and be allotted 5 years to get to an EXCELS level 5.
February 17th Amendments to Kirwan with coalition panel. (Click to read)
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