Md.'s schools winners in Race to Top

Calvert joined state competing for grants

Friday, Aug. 27, 2010

It was announced Tuesday by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) that Maryland is among 10 winners in the federal "Race to the Top" grant initiative, bringing up to $250 million in education investments to Maryland's public schools.

These dollars will be aimed at boosting student achievement, reducing student achievement gaps, turning around struggling schools and improving teaching.

"While our participation in the federal ‘Race to the Top' initiative culminated today with the receipt of up to $250 million in education investments, this process has always been part of a long-term strategic policy initiative aimed at reforming Maryland's public schools and ensuring every child receives the world-class education they deserve," O'Malley was quoted as saying in a press release from the governor's office.

Calvert County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith said Calvert was one of 22 Maryland school systems to sign a memorandum of understanding to go forward with the grant and has said Calvert could see $1 to 1.5 million, at best.

"For Calvert County the money won't be significant; for other counties in Maryland the money will be," Smith said, continuing that the dollars would still come from taxpayers and should be used wisely.

Smith continued that while he was excited about the possibilities the grant would bring, the "hard work" was just beginning as the grant would lead to the implementation of new programs and systems.

"And how those will be implemented is so critical," he said, naming the possibility of teachers' evaluations being based on student achievement as being an especially critical issue that would need to be "handled in an intelligent, systematic, thoughtful way."

Smith said he had heard employees express concerns about this potential change and admitted he shares some of that feeling.

"At the end of the day, employees and the community should be able to say, ‘OK, this was a logical response,'" Smith said.

He continued that he was hopeful that the grants would mean improved technology for tracking longitudinal data of how students perform from county-to-county and when they leave the school system for higher education.

"It's very important that none of us waste this opportunity," Smith said.

Debbie Russ, the president of the Calvert Education Association, which represents Calvert County Public School teachers, said that while she didn't think the additional grant money would make a big difference in Calvert County, she hoped it would.

"Any time you get money, it's good," Russ said, continuing that the new dollars would likely go to Title One schools, Free and Reduced Meals for students and possibly staff development.

When it came to teacher evaluations changing, Russ said "there's no one size fits all with this kind of thing" and the changes would have to be monitored very closely.

She did say the potential change of making it take longer for a teacher to become tenured could be beneficial for teachers who need a little extra help, but would require additional resources from the Calvert County Board of Education.

"As teachers, I don't know what else we can give in a contract," Russ said.

lbuck@somdnews.com