Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
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Commentary

Lucas: Appreciating teachers isn’t enough, we’ve got to help generate more of them

In my role overseeing students who are teacher candidates participating in student teaching assignments and practicums, I have the pleasure of regularly visiting local K-12 schools. On one recent school visit, a colleague and I brought along a platter of baked goods to show our appreciation for the teachers and their hard work and dedication. ”Next time,” the principal of the school joked, “you can send us teachers.” She’s got a point.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Maryland PIRG: What’s Next for Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’?

I am grateful the Maryland legislature has taken bold, bipartisan action to protect Maryland families and firefighters from PFAS. The state Senate and House of Delegates voted unanimously to pass the George “Walter” Taylor Act to restrict the use and disposal of toxic PFAS chemicals. Del. Sara Love (D-Montgomery) and Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel) sponsored the bill, and Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) signed it into law April 21. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of more than 9,000 toxic chemicals that are used to make a wide variety of products water and grease resistant.

100 US dollar banknote money
Baltimore’s guaranteed income pilot among first to focus on health influence

When Mayor Brandon Scott announced an unprecedented direct investment into Baltimore residents, a guaranteed income pilot program that will give 200 randomly selected young adult parents in the city $1,000 a month for 24 months, with no strings attached, he joined a wave of mayors across the country who are investing in people who need it most. Baltimore’s pilot is critical to the nation, as it will be among the first to focus on how guaranteed income influences the health of family and family members.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Abortion Case Leak Shows That the Supreme Court Is Broken

The leaked draft of a majority Supreme Court decision by Justice Samuel Alito overturning Roe v. Wade means several things. First, it indicates that in the justices’ private conference, at least five members of the court voted to reverse the 1973 abortion precedent. They aren’t bound by that vote, which they can change up to the day the final opinion is released. Almost all first drafts undergo significant revision based on discussion and debate among the justices. So the second point to make is that Roe isn’t yet overturned, though it very likely will be.

Perry Weed: Failure to address social, cultural ills leaves US vulnerable to decline

A large majority of Americans — dissatisfied and disillusioned — believe the country is on the wrong track. Major institutions are mistrusted. The Congress is dysfunctional. The Supreme Court has become unapologetically politicized. Corporate news media — both national and local — and social media alike have become rigidly politically and culturally aligned.

Bret Stephens: French lessons for the Biden administration

You probably breathed a deep sigh of relief when you heard that Emmanuel Macron trounced Marine Le Pen by a 17-point margin in Sunday’s French presidential election. A Le Pen victory would have been a boon to Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban and Steve Bannon and a disaster for NATO, Europe and France.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
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Drayton: Be an Election Season Hero. Volunteer as an Election Judge for Summer Primary

Marylanders broke voter turnout records in 2020. Even in the middle of a pandemic, it was “government by the people” like we have not seen in decades, with people from all walks of life joining together to decide who would represent us. Election judges were essential to making sure we could all exercise our freedom to vote in 2020 — and they will be needed again for the elections this year. In the typical election year, election judges remain largely in the background of the election process. They are ordinary citizens who do the important work of assisting voters through the process of voting while ensuring that our election are free, secure, and fair.

Martinez: Maryland and D.C. should follow Virginia’s lead and require K-12 financial education for graduation

Across the country, there’s growing agreement on the need to teach financial literacy in our nation’s K-12 schools. Yet, if we want to truly set our children up for a lifetime of personal financial knowledge, we need to pass more state financial-literacy legislation that requires high-quality, stand-alone courses for graduation. That’s exactly what Virginia has done. In 2009, amid growing concern about the economy, it became one of the first states in the U.S. to require stand-alone classes in personal finance and economics to graduate, as part of the national W!SE Financial Literacy Certification program.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Viewpoint: It’s in employers’ primary interest to explore second chance hiring

Amid the greatest labor shortage in a generation, organizations are scrambling to find workers. With many struggling to endure the moment, the most complete solution lies in overhauling our approach to talent.  Prior to the tumult of the past two years, a couple of trends amplified our vulnerability to the talent dearth we currently face. First, the birth rate has declined since 2000.

Dyson’s biggest task: Restoring public confidence in FCPS

Cheryl Dyson is saying all the right things about the challenges facing Frederick County Public Schools, where she will take over as superintendent on July 1. Rebuild the scandal-ridden special education department? Check. Listen more closely to parents, students, the community, teachers and other employees? Check. Communicate more consistently and effectively with all of those same groups? Check. Stabilize the students and teachers after the disruptions of the pandemic? Check. Devote more resources to the recruitment and the retention of outstanding teachers? Check.

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