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Around Maryland

With Maryland’s population of English learners spiking, resources lag behind those of other states
November 7, 2022 -

When Mohammed Choudhury came to Maryland as state superintendent a year ago, he brought experience teaching in districts with robust programs for students learning English as a second language. After working in school systems in Los Angeles and San Antonio, he found the multilingual resources here lacking. For instance, Maryland had fewer dual-language immersion schools, where students can take some core classes in a language other than English, such as taking math in Spanish. And while California and Texas graduated multilingual learners at a rate of more than 70%, according to 2015-16 data from the U.S. Department of Education, Maryland’s rate was 47.5%, one of the lowest in the country.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Baltimore files lawsuit against manufacturers for ‘forever chemicals’; nonprofit’s study detects array of PFAS in Maryland waterways
November 7, 2022 -

The city of Baltimore has joined dozens of other municipalities suing manufacturers for their use of “forever chemicals.” The chemicals, called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been used since the 1940s to manufacture a wide range of products, from carpeting to firefighting foam, because they are resistant to heat, water, grease and oil. But PFAS do not easily degrade in the environment, meaning the chemicals have accumulated over time. Also, PFAS can accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals, and some types can cause serious health problems, including reproductive defects, developmental problems in children and certain types of cancer. As a result, industries have phased out the chemicals, though some remain in use. Baltimore filed its suit in U.S. District Court against more than 20 manufacturers that used PFAS, including 3M, DuPont and Chemours, according to a news release Friday from Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Montgomery Co. passes bill to improve community informed policing
November 7, 2022 -

Police officers and new recruits in Montgomery County, Maryland, will now receive extra training to help them better understand the communities where they work and serve. It’s part of the county’s move to increase trust between its diverse residents and law enforcement. County Executive Marc Elrich signed the Community Informed Police Training Act into law Friday after the Montgomery County Council passed the bill unanimously last week. At the signing ceremony, At-Large Council member Will Jawando said the bill is something that has been in the works for about two years, while Elrich noted the county’s arc has been toward change even before reform calls were reignited after the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

Read More: WTOP News
Unearthing Native American history on an island in Southern Maryland
November 7, 2022 -

The small pieces of oyster shells and ceramic shards in the palm of archaeologist Julia King don’t look like much. But her team’s discoveries of roughly 1,500 pounds of shells and 200 pieces of ceramics bring new and more concrete evidence of the dominance of Native Americans who once lived at St. Clement’s Island and along the surrounding Potomac River shoreline in Southern Maryland. Native American leaders said their archaeological findings shed fresh light on their tribes’ historic presence in the state — which continues to this day but is often unknown, forgotten and ignored.“This work is showing a reclamation of the long history of Native Americans in that area and what it means to our people,” said Gabrielle Tayac.

Read More: Washington Post
Unofficial artist-in-residence at Druid Hill Park has found a simple life and freedom
November 7, 2022 -

You’ve likely seen his colorful sculpture garden as you enter Druid Hill Park on Swann Drive going toward the Rawlings Conservatory. On the strip of grass next to four brick pillars with lime green moss on their bases, the sculpture garden features anything Colin Williams is in the mood to create: shards of broken glass or old bicycle chains painted with deep oranges and blues in a frame, or a spray-painted bench with a tie-dye-like curtain. People might dismiss the space as a collection of junk, but Williams is creating a curated corner in the park. He calls himself the “unofficial, official artist-in-residence at Druid Hill Park.”

Read More: The Baltimore Banner
Wellness alliance is ‘flourishing’ in Anne Arundel County Public Schools: ‘It’s a springboard into living life’
November 7, 2022 -

At Broadneck High School a mural is in progress in a school bathroom with a silhouette, flowers and a statement: “You spend most of the time in your mind, make sure it is a beautiful place to be.” The painting began last year as part of a community project for the school’s Student Alliance for Flourishing, a new initiative in Anne Arundel County Public Schools funded by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Now in five high schools and three middle schools in Anne Arundel, the alliance uses a scale with six determinants of well-being or flourishing: happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close social relationships and financial and material stability.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
empty building hallway
Maryland school construction authority agrees to review analysis of ‘unfair’ funding for aging schools
November 4, 2022 -

The Maryland commission overseeing school construction says in the coming months it will review an analysis from Johns Hopkins University researchers, who contend the state’s funding formula is unfair to some low-income, Black and Hispanic students. University researchers Thursday morning delivered an 11-page letter outlining their concerns to the Maryland State Department of Education and the Interagency Commission on School Construction, whose nine members are charged with establishing how much state and local governments will pay for school construction projects in each county.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Howard school board rejects Elkridge group’s third bid at alternate redistricting plan, final adoption set for mid-November
November 4, 2022 -

Despite unanimously requesting analysis of the plan a week prior, on Wednesday the Howard County Board of Education rejected another alternative redistricting proposal put forward by Elkridge residents. The motion to move forward with the Elkridge proposal, or “scenario 5,” failed 5-1, with only board member Christina Delmont-Small voting in favor. Board member Yun Lu was not present for the vote.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
State awards more than $3 million for Anne Arundel bike trails and pedestrian paths
November 4, 2022 -

Anne Arundel County biking enthusiasts are celebrating a banner cycle of state grant funding for upgrading, extending and improving bike trails. Late last month, the Maryland Department of Transportation announced $35.6 million in combined state and federal funding for 53 bike and pedestrian projects. A significant chunk of the money is earmarked for projects in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, most notably, $2 million for extending the Poplar Trail from Taylor Avenue to Calvert Street.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Student success, teacher salaries and censorship among topics addressed at Harford County Board of Education candidates forum
November 4, 2022 -

Student success, teacher salaries, fiscal responsibility and censorship were among the topics candidates for the Harford County Board of Education discussed during a virtual forum on Tuesday evening, hosted by the League of Women Voters. Seven candidates spoke to more than 60 online viewers on issues important to them, with a pitch for why they should be elected to the school board.

Read More: Baltimore Sun

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