With billions of dollars for schools in play, Maryland’s Blueprint authorities struggle to work together

Education officials are warning local school systems their plans for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reforms might face delays after coordination efforts broke down this week between state authorities. The Accountability & Implementation Board, the Blueprint’s main oversight authority, delivered a memo to superintendents and other coordinators Monday stating the state department of education had backed out of an agreement to jointly review school system’s implementation plans alongside the AIB. Board chair Isiah Leggett, who authored the memo, said systems must now address two separate sets of feedback on their plans — from the education department followed by the AIB — potentially delaying approval by four to six weeks.