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BILL: HB 770 TITLE: Publicly Funded Full-Day Prekindergarten Program - Tier I Child - Alteration of Definition DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Ways and Means CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four public school superintendents, supports House Bill 770. This emergency bill would expand the definition of a full-day “Tier I child” prekindergarten who is 3 or 4 years old, and whose family income is less than or equal to 300% of the federal level, to include (1) a child with a disability; (2) a student who is a homeless youth; or, (3) who is from a home in which English is not the primary language. We strongly encourage this expanded definition and believe this was the intention of the Kirwan Commission, but was omitted in the final legislation. This small, yet meaningful change is tremendously important as districts are implementing new and expanding public and private prekindergarten programs. We applaud this legislation’s status as “emergency” so that funding for these vulnerable students can be provided to local school systems in the FY 2024 budget instead of waiting another year. For these reasons, PSSAM supports House Bill 770 and urges a favorable report.

BILL: HB 628 TITLE: Primary and Secondary Education – Breakfast and Lunch Programs – Universal Expansion DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Ways and Means CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four public school superintendents, supports House Bill 628. House Bill 628 is intended to reimburse local boards of education for the cost of providing free breakfast and lunch to all students attending public and participating private schools under the State’s Free Feeding Program. PSSAM strongly supports this legislation and the State’s generous participation. Based on our experiences during Covid in feeding students and families, we are extremely confident that all twenty-four local school systems will be able to implement such an ambitious program effectively and efficiently. The research on free meals for all students is vast and universally confirms the positive impact on student achievement, including academics and behavior. According to Madelein Levin and Jessie Hewins, the authors of Universal Free School Meals: Ensuring That All Children are Able to Learn, their findings include increased participation in meal programs, in part due to the removal of the stigma of “free lunch.” In addition, there is no room for error in identifying food-challenged students with the elimination of paper applications. Students in school meal programs are also more likely to eat healthier foods, including fruits, vegetables, and milk. In turn, these healthier eating habits positively impact lower childhood obesity. Removing the transaction of paying for meals also results in more time for students to eat. According to Levin and Hewins, families also benefit strongly from free meal programs as it reduces their financial burden of purchasing two meals a day for their children. Lastly, research shows that a consistently well-fed student is a better student, test-taker and participant in school. Participation in the free meal programs is also linked to fewer absences, increased attention span, decreased tardiness and behavior problems, and overall, an improved school environment. For these reasons, PSSAM supports House Bill 628 and urges a favorable report.

BILL: SB 300 TITLE: Baltimore City Young Readers Program - Expansion and Alterations DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Education, Energy, and the Environment CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, supports Senate Bill 300. House Bill 300 renames and expands the Baltimore City Young Readers Program to the Statewide Young Readers Program in the Maryland State Library Agency. The bill also increases the mandated appropriation for this new statewide initiative to $500,000, previously $250,000. The Maryland Governor's Young Readers Program is an affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children, regardless of the family's income. The program delivers a free book every month to any Baltimore family with children from infancy through age four. This program is an impactful way to introduce very young kids to the joys of reading and storytelling. Baltimore City’s program has reached more than 4,400 families through a variety of service organizations and city and state agencies. We look forward to the statewide expansion of this innovative and effective early reading program. For these reasons, PSSAM supports Senate Bill 300 and requests a favorable report.

BILL: HB 510 TITLE: Public Schools - Length of School Year and Innovative School Scheduling Models - Revisions DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Ways and Means CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, supports House Bill 510. House Bill 510 alters current law requiring a certain length of school year for student attendance. Additionally, this bill would authorize county boards of education to explore the use of innovative school scheduling models, including an extended year, year-round schooling, a 4-day school week, and other models. However, the bill creates guardrails by ensuring there are no prolonged lapses in instructional time. Current State law requires that public schools be in session for both 180 days and a minimum number of seat hours (1,080 at the elementary and middle school levels, and 1,170 at the high school level). This legislation will allow school systems to meet the minimum number of seat hours required, but removes existing constraints that require these hours be met during a ten-month period over the course of a school year of at least 180 days. To be clear, such a change would not mandate that any school system alter current operations in any way. Under this legislation, local school systems will still be required to meet the existing minimum number of seat hours for all students. The delivery of public education must evolve. If the Covid pandemic taught us one lesson, it is that the traditional model of educating students is not the only way to educate students. We learned that some students can learn and excel in much more creative models and these models deserve more research and consideration. Maryland’s superintendents unanimously agree that implementing flexible scheduling models at the discretion of local systems provides additional creative options that allow for the delivery of a free and appropriate public education that best meets the needs of all Maryland students. Therefore, PSSAM strongly supports this innovative piece of legislation to recognize and explore these new, more flexible models. For these reasons, PSSAM supports House Bill 510 and urges a favorable report.

BILL: HB 576 TITLE: Primary and Secondary Education - Policies on Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation - Revisions DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Oppose COMMITTEE: Ways and Means CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, opposes House Bill 576. House Bill 576 would require local school systems to notify the parent or guardian of a student who is the victim of bullying or harassment within twelve hours of an incident. The bill also waives the parental notification requirement after an incident at the discretion of the student if the incident was found to be motivated by the student’s actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Additionally, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) would be required to update the model policy regarding bullying, harassment, or intimidation by September 1, 2023. PSSAM recognizes the importance of maintaining an inclusive environment for students' expression of sexual orientation and gender identity, but this bill creates a potential for serious liability concerns and legal ramifications as an unintended consequence. Most importantly, the victim may not receive the services he or she needs due to the lack of parental involvement. Under current statute and model policies developed by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), school systems are required to notify the parent or guardian of a student who is a victim of bullying, harassment, or intimidation within three business days of an alleged incident, regardless of the motivation of the perpetrator to inflict harm. This bill removes the requirement for schools to notify a parent or guardian if the incident was motivated by the victim's actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Instead, notification would only occur at the student’s discretion. Maryland superintendents promote the utilization of a range of integrated tiered supports for both victims and students exhibiting bullying behaviors, as well as individualized, intensive supports when necessary. Parents and guardians across the state place the utmost trust in local school systems in providing a safe learning environment for all students, a duty that cannot be accomplished without active parental participation. Removing current language that requires parental notification opens local systems to legal action, but more importantly, could prevent the bullied student from receiving appropriate attention at home and school. While topics of gender and sexuality can be sensitive subjects, the motivation behind any one incident of bullying or harassment, regardless of the subject matter, does not constitute the need for wholesale change in a model policy. We believe that the current policies protect both the student and the school system. Local school systems make every effort to provide culturally responsive social and emotional support for targeted students. These efforts are integrated with trauma informed care and restorative practices to best serve the interest of all involved parties. For these reasons, PSSAM opposes House Bill 576 and urges an unfavorable report.

BILL: SB 338 TITLE: Primary and Secondary Education - Extended School Year Innovation Grant DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Education, Energy, and the Environment / Budget and Taxation CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, supports Senate Bill 338. This bill establishes an Extended School Year Innovation Grant program administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Grants are intended to fund development and implementation of an extended school year scheduling model in public primary and secondary schools in the State. A participating school must use grant funds to support the additional personnel and operational expenses associated with implementing an extended school year scheduling model. MSDE must prioritize awarding grants to primary schools and schools with documented learning loss. To the extent practicable, each year MSDE must award a grant to at least one rural, one suburban, and one urban school. For each fiscal year through fiscal 2035, the Governor must include $25.0 million in the annual budget bill for the program. A participating school must, every second year of implementation, report specified information to the Governor, MSDE, and the General Assembly. The Covid-19 pandemic created many challenges in the delivery of public education and highlighted the need for innovation and evolution. The pandemic taught us that the traditional model of educating students is not the only way to educate students. We learned that some students can learn and excel in much more creative models and these models deserve more research and consideration. The Extended School Year Grant would allow school systems to implement another innovative concept in public education - a year-round school model. Research indicates that year-round schools have many benefits including lower stress levels for students due to frequent breaks throughout the year. The same has been found for reducing teacher stress, which in turn has shown an increase in the quality of their instruction. Year-round school can also help deter learning loss and give students and families year-round access to food service, academic support, and other wrap around services all year long. In overcrowded school systems, year-round schools with staggered sessions can help alleviate these physical constraints in school building and lessen the need for portable buildings. There are certainly downsides to consider with year-round schools; however, the careful planning and research expectations in this legislation will help school systems make the most informed decision on utilizing this innovative model. Maryland’s superintendents unanimously agree that implementing flexible scheduling models at the discretion of local systems provides additional creative options for the delivery of a free and appropriate public education. We embrace researching and piloting new modes of learning, and feel it is a welcome supplement to the high-quality education already provided in Maryland schools. We hope to have the opportunity to work collaboratively with MSDE and many other stakeholders, including teachers and students, to build the most effective and meaningful year-round school program for Maryland public school students. For these reasons, PSSAM supports Senate Bill 338 and urges a favorable report.

BILL: SB 551 TITLE: Education - Service Year Option Program - Establishment (Serving Every Region Through Vocational Exploration Act of 2023) DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Education, Energy, and the Environment CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, supports Senate Bill 551. Senate Bill 551 would establish a Service Year Option Program for eligible Maryland high school graduates. The program, set to be administered by the Department of Service and Civic Innovation, would extend the opportunity to recent graduates to work for a variety of community organizations, public programs, and private entities in Maryland. This program ensures that participants receive an appropriate salary, as well as other tangible benefits from collaboration with on-site supervisors such as college and career counseling, workforce training, and financial literacy education. PSSAM applauds the Governor’s initiative in introducing a state-wide Service Year Option Program for Maryland graduates. As Maryland’s top educational leaders, superintendents often witness the profound impact experiential learning opportunities can have on students. Service year programs have been shown to have a positive impact on students and produce a wide range of beneficial outcomes, including improved academic performance in higher education, increased civic engagement, and improved job prospects. Through the establishment of a Service Year Option Program in Maryland, young adults will have the opportunity to develop important career and life skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership qualities. PSSAM is eager to support such a program with the potential to benefit the symbiotic relationship between Maryland students and communities. Through the opportunity to engage in service work, recent graduates would be able to make a positive impact in their communities, explore college and career opportunities, and contribute to the greater good. PSSAM believes that this program would help to build stronger, more vibrant communities throughout Maryland. For these reasons, PSSAM supports Senate Bill 551 and urges a favorable committee report.

BILL: SB 557 TITLE: Primary and Secondary Education – Breakfast and Lunch Programs – Universal Expansion DATE: February 22, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Budget and Taxation / Education, Energy, and the Environment CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four public school superintendents, supports Senate Bill 557. Senate Bill 557 is intended to reimburse local boards of education for the cost of providing free breakfast and lunch to all students attending public and participating private schools under the State’s Free Feeding Program. PSSAM strongly supports this legislation and the State’s generous participation. Based on our experiences during Covid in feeding students and families, we are extremely confident that all twenty-four local school systems will be able to implement such an ambitious program effectively and efficiently. The research on free meals for all students is vast and universally confirms the positive impact on student achievement, including academics and behavior. According to Madelein Levin and Jessie Hewins, the authors of Universal Free School Meals: Ensuring That All Children are Able to Learn, their findings include increased participation in meal programs, in part due to the removal of the stigma of “free lunch.” In addition, there is no room for error in identifying food-challenged students with the elimination of paper applications. Students in school meal programs are also more likely to eat healthier foods, including fruits, vegetables, and milk. In turn, these healthier eating habits positively impact lower childhood obesity. Removing the transaction of paying for meals also results in more time for students to eat. According to Levin and Hewins, families also benefit strongly from free meal programs as it reduces their financial burden of purchasing two meals a day for their children. Lastly, research shows that a consistently well-fed student is a better student, test-taker and participant in school. Participation in the free meal programs is also linked to fewer absences, increased attention span, decreased tardiness and behavior problems, and overall, an improved school environment. For these reasons, PSSAM supports Senate Bill 557 and urges a favorable report.

BILL: HB 546 TITLE: Education - Service Year Option Program - Establishment (Serving Every Region Through Vocational Exploration Act of 2023) DATE: February 21, 2023 POSITION: Support COMMITTEE: Appropriations CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, supports House Bill 546. House Bill 546 would establish a Service Year Option Program for eligible Maryland high school graduates. The program, set to be administered by the Department of Service and Civic Innovation, would extend the opportunity to recent graduates to work for a variety of community organizations, public programs, and private entities in Maryland. This program ensures that participants receive an appropriate salary, as well as other tangible benefits from collaboration with on-site supervisors such as college and career counseling, workforce training, and financial literacy education. PSSAM applauds the Governor’s initiative in introducing a state-wide Service Year Option Program for Maryland graduates. As Maryland’s top educational leaders, superintendents often witness the profound impact experiential learning opportunities can have on students. Service year programs have been shown to have a positive impact on students and produce a wide range of beneficial outcomes, including improved academic performance in higher education, increased civic engagement, and improved job prospects. Through the establishment of a Service Year Option Program in Maryland, young adults will have the opportunity to develop important career and life skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership qualities. PSSAM is eager to support such a program with the potential to benefit the symbiotic relationship between Maryland students and communities. Through the opportunity to engage in service work, recent graduates would be able to make a positive impact in their communities, explore college and career opportunities, and contribute to the greater good. PSSAM believes that this program would help to build stronger, more vibrant communities throughout Maryland. For these reasons, PSSAM supports House Bill 546 and urges a favorable committee report.

BILL: SB 367 TITLE: Public Employee Relations Act DATE: February 16, 2023 POSITION: Oppose COMMITTEE: Finance / Education, Energy, and the Environment CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twentyfour local school superintendents, opposes Senate Bill 367. This legislation consolidates and alters certain laws governing collective bargaining for certain public employees, including laws related to the establishment of bargaining units, elections and certification of exclusive representatives, employee and employer rights, unfair labor practices, strikes, and lockouts. The bill establishes the Public Employee Relations Board to oversee collective bargaining activities for certain public employees. PSSAM strongly opposes the following provisions of the bill: (1) adding class size and school calendar issues as permissible collective bargaining topics; (2) replacing the use of mediation with arbitration throughout the bill; and, (3) the elimination of the Public School Labor Relations Board (PSLRB) by consolidating it with the State Labor Relations Board, and the State Higher Education Labor Relations Board into a new Public Employee Relations Board. The bill significantly alters the longstanding collective bargaining process and dispute resolution by eliminating the PSLRB. This Board has expertise in public school collective bargaining issues, which could be minimized in a broader Public Employee Relations Board. The inclusion of class size and calendar issues as permissible collective bargaining topics is also of great concern. PSSAM’s concerns regarding the issue of class size are well documented in our attached opposition testimony for HB 85 (Collective Bargaining - Certified Employees - Class Size), which makes bargaining class size a permissible subject. There are many unintended consequences in allowing for negotiations to include class size. Financial and operational concerns top those concerns, especially the potential outcome of needing more teachers to satisfy bargained class sizes. This legislation would also significantly complicate and confuse our implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The Blueprint is based on the concepts of equity and adequacy. This legislation would result in 24 different agreements that could create new inequities among systems based on the strength (or weakness) of either bargaining unit. Second, the Kirwan Commission considered and rejected mandating smaller class sizes. There was no conclusive research that smaller classes were responsible for student success; they found small classes were not a characteristic of successful schools around the world. Third, the Blueprint calls for increases in teacher salaries and more planning time (60% teaching and 40% planning), which will require additional staff. School systems are already strategizing and contemplating this need in the context of the national teacher shortage. Placing a cap on class sizes or allowing this to be a topic of negotiations would limit a system's ability to allocate resources to high need schools. Local boards and superintendents need the flexibility to invest in the students and families who need us the most. Lastly, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future already requires wholesale revisions to the local systems’ collective bargaining agreements through the establishment of the career ladder. The Public School Labor Relations Board (PSLRB) has been hearing and resolving disputes between employees and their unions, and unions and school systems since 2010. The PSLRB is composed of members appointed by our organization, (PSSAM), the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE), the teachers’ associations, and the Governor. This membership structure allows for expertise in school system governance, administration, employee contract negotiations, and dispute resolution, all of which would be lost by consolidating the PSLRB into the new Board. Finally, replacing mediation with arbitration would make an already complex and time-sensitive process more contentious and dissuade parties from coming to the bargaining table willing to compromise for the good of our teachers and students. For these reasons, PSSAM opposes Senate Bill 367 and urges an unfavorable report.

BILL: HB 448 TITLE: Nonpublic Education - Special Education Placements - Renaming and Teacher Salaries (Teacher Pay Parity Act) DATE: February 15, 2023 POSITION: Oppose COMMITTEE: Ways and Means / Appropriations CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM This bill requires a nonpublic educational program for students with disabilities to provide its teachers a salary that is equivalent to public school teachers of similar training and experience in the same county. If the costs to do so are not met by the existing State and local cost sharing mechanism in current law for nonpublic placements, such additional funding is to be paid for by the State and the local school system in the same proportion as provided by that mechanism. Funding for other components of a nonpublic educational program may not be reduced to provide for required nonpublic teacher salary increases. The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), opposes HB 448. The state’s twenty-four local school systems are working hard to implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation, which includes a significant increase in teacher compensation to bring the teaching profession on par with professions that require similar education standards. These provisions include a 10% increase in salaries by FY ’24 over FY ’19 to close the gap of average teacher salaries in peer states. The Blueprint also calls for a $60,000 starting salary for all teachers by FY ’27. These are ambitious goals and each system is working with fidelity to meet these requirements. These provisions are already putting pressure on local systems to provide equal increases to personnel that are not specifically identified in the Blueprint, yet are integral staff in our systems, including psychologists, social workers, reading specialists, and more. This bill would add an unfunded mandate for local school systems to pay for costs they have no control over. We recognize that the vast majority of students at these nonpublic schools are special education students that could not be accommodated in their zoned school. However, the legislation would hold LEAs responsible for ensuring salary parity between public and private school teacher salaries without any local control over these schools; teachers in nonpublic placements are not part of the bargaining process. We appreciate and support our nonpublic education providers, but as last year’s fiscal note indicates, this bill creates a potential decrease in public school funding since school districts are responsible for paying a percentage of the tuition of these nonpublic placements. For the reasons stated above, PSSAM opposes HB 448 and requests an unfavorable committee report.

BILL: HB 461 TITLE: Education - Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program - Human and Sex Trafficking DATE: February 15, 2023 POSITION: Oppose COMMITTEE: Ways and Means CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four Maryland local school superintendents, opposes House Bill 461. House Bill 461 requires the Maryland State Board of Education (MSDE) to develop an age-appropriate education program modeling awareness and prevention of sexual abuse and assault for use in public schools and certain nonpublic schools. The program would be required to include material promoting the awareness and prevention of human and sex trafficking geared towards students in grades six through eight. Each local board of education would be required to incorporate this education program into already existing health curriculum, as well as ensure that instruction of these topics would be provided by teachers trained in the instruction of sexual assault prevention and awareness. PSSAM has a longstanding policy of opposing efforts by the General Assembly to codify curriculum standards, assessments, or graduation requirements. Local superintendents strongly believe that the role of curriculum development and implementation belongs solely to local boards of education in conjunction with MSDE. Rest assured, PSSAM’s opposition to this bill does not rest on an evaluation of the merits of teaching any specified subject matter, but rather opposition to statutorily mandating revisions to content standards and curriculum. The Maryland General Assembly, in creating the Maryland State Board of Education and local boards of education, has delegated to them the responsibility of delivering a high-quality statewide system of public education through State standards and accountability measures, as well as locally governed and administered curriculum. The State Board establishes State content frameworks, state assessment standards, and minimum state graduation requirements, while each local board and school system implement locally-developed curriculum to ensure that the state content frameworks are followed, student performance standards are met, and students are prepared to meet graduation requirements. In the context of educational programming proposed by House Bill 461, PSSAM emphasizes that many local school systems already incorporate age-appropriate materials on topics such as sexual abuse and sex trafficking prevention into comprehensive health education curriculum. Under current law, each local school system must provide a comprehensive health education program for all students from prekindergarten through grade eight, as well as offer an education program in grades 9 through 12 that enables students to meet graduation requirements. Superintendents are committed to providing students with a comprehensive, well-rounded health education through curriculum that is implemented after proper stakeholder input is received and review processes are completed in each individual system. However, seeing as though this bill would require all local systems to expend additional funds in curriculum and assessment creation that are not provided under the bill’s current language, this bill serves as an unfunded mandate for all twenty-four local systems. Again, PSSAM’s opposition to this bill does not rest on the merits of instruction pertaining to the sexual abuse, assault awareness, and sex trafficking prevention. Rather, it rests on the implications of curricular mandates on local school systems. House Bill 461, alongside similar bills which seek to interject or extract piecemeal segments of the curriculum, only serve to weaken the effectiveness of the overall educational curriculum. For these reasons, PSSAM opposes House Bill 461 and urges an unfavorable committee report.