Equity in Education
The committee advocates for the rights of students, as well as a school system that provides quality education.Role of the Education Committee
The Education Committee is one of the longest continuously active program committees of the Baltimore County League. The committee advocates for the rights of students, as well as a school system that provides quality education. We believe the purposes of public education are to prepare students to be responsible citizens and to understand and affirm the democratic values in our society; to prepare students to be economically self sufficient; and to prepare students to be life-long learners, appreciative of the arts, knowledgeable about technology and sensitive to cultural and individual differences. We support safe schools and safe communities.
Our efforts
The committee is part of the Baltimore County Education Justice Table. This coalition exists to unite parents, students, educators, and community members in Baltimore County to increase justice in public education, protect and improve the quality of our public education, center the public debate around education justice, ensure accountability, and build a local movement for justice, equity and opportunity for all.
The committee advocated for the Blueprint for Maryland, a bill that passed in 2020. Our members educated the public about the bill, spoke at public meetings, spoke with legislators in Annapolis, and led a letter writing campaign to politicians. The Blueprint provides a plan for a more equitable and modern funding formula for Maryland’s public schools and expands the availability of and funding for early childhood education/pre-kindergarten programs, special education, and college and career readiness initiatives. As the Blueprint for Maryland’s funding becomes available to the County, the committee plans to track spending and support more equitable funding formulas for our schools.
Get Involved
- Volunteer to track information on the Blueprint for Maryland’s funding to the Baltimore County
- Attend Baltimore County Board of Education meetings and share information with our members
Historical Efforts
Education Committee members researched student poverty and food insecurity in Baltimore County Public Schools. A significant number of students were food insecure, which means that they often are not certain if they will have food or adequate food. Members spoke with the Baltimore County Council, which responded by establishing a task force to study the issue. They also encouraged organizations and faith-based groups to commit to helping to alleviate hunger among students. One of the committee members launched the Student Support Network, a nonprofit organization that improves the lives of Baltimore County school children living in poverty, where League members volunteered. (2016–2018)
The League was instrumental in changing the Baltimore County Board of Education structure to include both elected and appointed members. The Education Committee in coalition with NAACP, PTA Council, ABCSchools, and individual citizens, testified in Annapolis, wrote letters to appropriate committees, and spoke with local delegates to gain support to change from an all-appointed Board of Education to a hybrid board with seven elected members and four appointed members. (2014)
The committee developed positions on
- Selection of Board of Education Members for change to either a fully elected or a hybrid system (some elected/some appointed) of selection of members of the Board of Education (2014)
- Role of the principal to set the tone to successfully educate all of the students and to be the chief administrator with the main responsibility as an instructional leader (2005)
- Early Childhood Education initiatives such as pre-literacy and enrichment, pre-K education for four-year-olds from disadvantaged families and those with special needs, and funding of pre-K and all-day kindergarten with federal, state and local financing, preferably from general revenues (2002)
- Quality of education, charter schools, and safe schools and safe communities (1996–2000)
To read about the full positions, go to Education Positions.