Three members of the seven-member board charged with implementing the state’s multibillion-dollar education reform plan, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, were reappointed this week to new six-year terms.
Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced the reappointments of Accountability and Implementation Board Vice Chair William “Brit” Kirwan and board members Jennifer Lynch and Justin Robinson, effective July 2. Kirwan and Lynch were first appointed when the board was created in November 2021 and Robinson was appointed in March 2023 to fill a vacancy. All three will serve until July 1, 2030.
Moore praised “the strong leadership and enduring partnership” of the three, whose appointment was welcomed by board Chair Isiah Leggett.
“I am pleased that these three members will continue to serve on the AIB,” Leggett said in a prepared statement. “Their individual and collective contributions to supporting implementation of the Blueprint have been essential in setting the State on a path to achieving the Blueprint’s expected outcomes.”
The appointments come as the board is in the midst of a months-long review of responses from every school district in the state to the plan, and their proposals for how they will implement it in their individual counties.
The board was created to oversee implementation of the ambitious, multiyear plan to reform education in the state. The “blueprint” is based on five priorities, or pillars: hiring and retaining high-quality and diverse teachers, early childhood education, providing additional resources for students in need, preparing students for college and technical careers and governance and accountability.
In March, districts were required to file report on the top challenges they are facing in implementing the Blueprint, and in May with their plans for how they will implement the Blueprint in each of their districts.
One of the biggest worries of local school officials has been the cost of meeting goals set forth in the plan. A law that took effect last month, for example, requires each school system to hire a Blueprint coordinator at a salary of $150,000. The cost will be shared between the state and district, but not every district is getting the same level of support.
Other themes that have emerged include the need to prioritize stakeholder outreach and involvement, increase collaboration with school district staff and local schools, and identify supports for students who haven’t met the college and career readiness standard.
Local officials have also stressed the need for flexibility as implementation of the plans moves forward.
The reappointments of the three members are subject to Senate approval.