Maryland Schools Top Nation 5th Consecutive Year

The state received a B+ grade by Education Week, which released the annual report.

Maryland schools were ranked the best in the nation for the fifth year in a row, according to a study released by Education Week. "Maryland public schools are so fortunate to have bipartisan support throughout the State," State Superintendent Lillian Lowery said in a statement. "Our schools have the benefit of strong support from the Governor, other elected officials, educators, parents, business leaders, and the public at large. This ranking could not be achieved without the support of every partner, and we won’t be able to continue our improvement without that broad coalition." The state received an 87.5, B+ grade in the publication's analysis. Massachusetts trailed by 3.4 points to secure a second place ranking. At the other end of the …

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Are Maryland Children Protected from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning at School?

Carbon monoxide leak at Atlanta elementary school sends 47 to hospital.

  According to a recent Reuters story, a carbon monoxide leak caused by a faulty furnace at Finch Elementary School in Atlanta sent 43 students and six teachers to the hospital. The school did not have carbon monoxide detectors installed, and vapor levels of the deadly gas were “the highest we’ve ever seen,” said Atlanta Fire Department spokeswoman Marian McDaniel. As it turns out, no school in Georgia is required to install carbon monoxide detectors. Neither are schools in 47 other states. Information detailing state statutes on carbon monoxide detectors, noted on the website of the National Conference of State Legislators, says that only Maryland and Connecticut require installation of carbon monoxide detectors in schools.  Maryland Code…

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Maryland's Best Teachers Say Profession Must Improve From 'Inside Out'

Twenty-two of Maryland's 2012 Teachers of the Year assessed the potential ideas with top federal education officials as part a series of national conversations between federal officials and active educators.

By Rob Brock of Capital News Service In a roundtable discussion today at the U.S. Department of Education, Maryland's best teachers evaluated and discussed innovative ways to recruit, prepare, support, retain and reward teachers. Twenty-two of Maryland's 24 2012 Teachers of the Year assessed the potential ideas with top federal education officials as part of the RESPECT -- for Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching -- Project, a series of national conversations between federal officials and active educators to provide input on the Obama administration's 2013 budget proposal. The proposal would allot $5 billion to a competitive program that would challenge states and school districts to work with…

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Maryland Schools Test Evaluating Teachers on Student Performance

Their students' performances and tests scores could affect teachers' pay increases and promotions.

By Tim Ebner, Capital News Service Maryland schools are moving closer to overhauling the way that they evaluate teachers, putting more emphasis on student performance and test scores. The new evaluation system is currently being tested in Baltimore City and six counties, and will be expanded to the rest of the state in June. Supporters of the new system, including Gov. Martin O'Malley, said the change was necessary because Maryland did not have a statewide teacher evaluation system that took student performance into account. Under the new system, half of a teacher's evaluation score will depend on student performance and the other half on professional development. In the seven districts where the new evaluation models are being tested - …

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Maryland Public Schools First in the Nation

Education Week rankings put Maryland at the top for the fourth year in a row.