Maryland needs BOAST

Originally published in the Frederick News-Post

By Marta Hummel Mossburg
Published on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Educating children usually ranks behind paying off the teachers union in Maryland for political support.

Why Maryland Doesn't Need Universal Preschool

By Dan Lips
Published on Monday, March 01, 2010
Governor Martin O'Malley's "Maryland's Preschool for All Business Plan," created in December 2009, intends to "outline the direction for implementing the [universal preschool] program during the second decade of the 2000s." The initiative, like many liberal initiatives of its kind, is based on the assumption of a "multiplier effect" -- that universal preschool will better prepare young students for grades K-12 and provide such spillover benefits as reduced grade retention, special education enrollments, teen pregnancy, and criminal arrests, while increasing high school graduation and employment rates.

State teachers union will bust budgets if legislation passes

Originally published in the Washington Examiner

By Marta Hummel Mossburg
Published on Tuesday, January 12, 2010
You have to give the Maryland teachers union credit for its chutzpah. It is like a teenager who tells her parents she needs their credit card to buy school supplies and then drives to Neiman Marcus.The only problem: The credit card the union wants to abuse is the one paid for by every state taxpayer.

A tougher line on dropouts

Originally published in the Baltimore Sun

By Baltimore Sun Editorial Board
Published on Wednesday, November 04, 2009
A report last week that Montgomery County officials now favor raising from 16 to 18 the minimum legal age at which students can drop out of school signals a growing awareness that Maryland's future depends on a well-educated work force capable of competing in a global economy. Along with Baltimore City and Prince George's County, Montgomery County's support means there will now be a substantial bloc of lawmakers in the General Assembly ready to back toughening the requirements for school attendance to ensure that Maryland doesn't fall behind.

Maryland Has Long Waiting List for Charter Schools

Originally published in School Reform News

By Sarah McIntosh
Published on Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Demand is high but supply is low for Maryland students wanting to attend a charter school. The state has 42, but almost all of them are in Baltimore-leaving 3,000 students statewide on waiting lists.School choice advocates say the state's current law and political climate are the reasons seats aren't available for these students.

Who knew Seinfeld's George Costanza was NAACP's model?

Originally published in the Washington Examiner

By Marta Hummel Mossburg
Published on Friday, October 16, 2009
Remember the "The Fire" episode from Seinfeld? George Costanza shoves a senior citizen and children out of his way while fleeing a small kitchen fire at the apartment of his girlfriend.He justifies his behavior by claiming he was trying to lead the way. He explained that pushing others was necessary "Because, because as the leader, if I die, then all hope is lost."The show was funny. The fact that Marvin "Doc" Cheatham, president of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and leaders of the state organization abide by George's morally bankrupt worldview is not.

The true risk of our under-educated youth

Originally published in the Daily Record

By Craig A. Thompson
Published on Friday, September 25, 2009
Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in the number of discussions surrounding our youth and education. Earlier this year, the Maryland public school system moved to the ìhead of the classî nationwide, capturing a seat at the top of the national school rankings in six important categories.

Must unions always block innovation in public schools?

Originally published in the Washington Examiner

By Marta Hummel Mossburg
Published on Friday, July 24, 2009
Isn't it ironic? When Andres Alonso moved to Baltimore City two years ago to turn around a failing public school system, the Baltimore Teachers Union fought him over practically everything except which color tie he should wear.

Teachers As Entrepreneurs

By Tom Neumark
Published on Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Currently, most teachers in the state of Maryland are employed by a local Board of Education and are direct employees of the school system. However, a better arrangement is possible. What if all Maryland schools districts could hire employees under their existing union-negotiated agreements and could also sign contracts with education companies, individual teachers, and other unions? This paper examines how this approach would work, the policy changes needed to enable teacher entrepreneurship, and the potential benefits, and also answers the common arguments for a single, union-negotiated contract.

Maryland needs BOAST now

Originally published in the Washington Examiner

By Marta Hummel Mossburg
Published on Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Maryland legislators could have prevented the closing of Towson Catholic High School this year. Leadership of the 87-old Baltimore County high school -- 40 percent of whose students are minorities and 45 percent of whom live in Baltimore City -- last week said the school would not reopen next year because of $650,000 deficit and declining enrollment.