Maryland
Maryland’s education leaders sought changes in child care funding — then reversed course
![Maryland’s education leaders sought changes in child care funding — then reversed course Maryland’s education leaders sought changes in child care funding — then reversed course](https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/resizer/NRlNYz0TXtTMDmsTQsY4c-XMbLw=/657x0/filters:quality(70):format(url)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/ENPOFLZ4KFD2JFBHCQBRSM6NME.jpg)
The Maryland State Department of Education told a nonprofit child care network this week that the department would take control of $9.4 million in state and federal funding — and then abruptly reversed course days later.
The Maryland Family Network, which has managed grant programs that serve child care centers since 1989, was notified Tuesday that the department would distribute funding directly to the centers beginning in July, bypassing the nonprofit. The announcement shocked Maryland Family Network officials, who worried child care providers could lose out on crucial funding and face staff furloughs if they had to navigate an unfamiliar application process on short notice. The nonprofit slammed the sudden shift in a letter delivered Wednesday to the state’s top leadership.
“It is astonishing and, I submit, grossly irresponsible for MSDE [Maryland State Department of Education] to initiate such a momentous change so precipitously, without efforts to engage MFN [Maryland Family Network] and other stakeholders in a measured, orderly transition,” said Laura Weeldreyer, the network’s executive director, in the letter. “This rash move will undermine infrastructure and relationships that have been decades in the making.”
By Thursday afternoon, state education leaders appeared to walk back those plans. Spokesperson Jena Frick said in an email there would be no change to the department’s partnership with the Maryland Family Network.
“Rest assured, MSDE is not moving forward with any changes stated in their letter,” Frick said in an email. “The Department is continuing to fund these grants and grantees as it has and will continue to explore program ideas, innovations, and refinements with its partners along the way, including the Maryland General Assembly.”
Frick did not respond to questions about why the education department had reversed course.
The dispute comes at a critical juncture for both Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury, whose contract is up for renewal next month, and the state’s child care industry, which is in turmoil. The child care sector has lost about 850 providers — an 11% drop — since 2020, according to network officials.
The Maryland Family Network has long acted as the primary advocacy and public policy organization for the state’s child care providers. It maintains a database of licensed child care centers and employs counselors who help families to locate child care services that fit their needs. And it manages 15 family support centers across the state that provide high-quality child care and services to their families, many of whom are immigrants or refugees. The centers offer child care so that families may pursue educational opportunities including English classes or GED programs, as well as reproductive and mental health support.
Leadership for the education department and the Maryland Family Network have previously clashed over funding.
Weeldreyer was publicly critical of staffing turnover within the department last month, which she said contributed to delays in $3 million paid out to her organization. She informed the child care networks of her concerns in a memo that the department later labeled as “misinformation.”
Meanwhile, Choudhury has faced complaints in recent months from former employees and education organizations who describe a toxic work culture under his leadership that has contributed to high turnover within the department. Choudhury has previously described his management style as “in the weeds” but said he expects a lot of his staff.
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Nancy Grasmick, a former Maryland state school superintendent and a faculty member at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, said the Maryland Family Network’s work is crucial to helping families find high-quality child care in the state through its website. “It is so dependent on an organ like the MFN because of their relationship with all of the child care providers,” she said.
Families can find information about child care providers near them, but also talk to someone at the nonprofit with knowledge of the specific child care centers and the quality of each. “This has depth to it. They have redesigned it several times to be efficient, effective and easy to use,” she said.
In addition, Grasmick said Maryland Family Network has provided professional training for child care entities. “They have changed the trajectory through the affiliated network,” she said.
Had the state moved forward with its plans to eliminate the nonprofit’s grant responsibilities, the state would have effectively cut the organization’s budget by 22%, Weeldreyer said.
She worried that a state takeover of her nonprofit’s functions with less than two weeks notice would be chaotic. “We have led this work historically and no one is asking us what that looks like, how we do it and what we have learned,” she said.
liz.bowie@thebaltimorebanner.com
lillian.reed@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Maryland
How to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland (9/7/24): TV channel, kickoff time, live stream
Michigan State got the job done in its season opener, but it wasn’t pretty as it hung on at home against Florida Atlantic. Now, it has to head on the road to open Big Ten play in what promises to be a tougher test.
· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on FuboTV (free trial)
· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on Sling
· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on DirecTV Stream
· Visit MLive’s Betting Home for latest odds & sportsbook promos
Michigan State is 1-0, but the road gets tougher now. The Spartans go on the road and start Big Ten play early in Week 2 with a trip to Maryland. The Terrapins have a new look this year without quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa but looked strong in their season-opener against Howard last week.
· Who: Michigan State at Maryland
· When: 3:30 p.m.
· Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
· Twitter: Follow Matt Wenzel
· Live updates: Beginning at 2:30 p.m. at mlive.com/spartans
· Latest line: Maryland -9.5
TV Network: Big Ten Network
Streaming options:
· FuboTV is offering $30 off the first month for all U.S. plans. Sign up to get your favorite TV shows, live sports events, and much more
· Sling currently has an offer of $20 for the first month of subscription and has streaming coverage of live sports, news and entertainment.
· DirecTV Stream offers live sports, news and on demand TV.
Five must-reads before kickoff:
* Michigan State lost two members of its secondary, Dillon Tatum and Khalil Majeed, to long-term injuries in its season opener. The team is turning to some new faces to fill in the holes from those injuries.
* Alex VanSumeren was once Michigan State’s top-rated recruit, but he’s been seldom seen on the field due to injuries. Now, though, he’s healthy and making his mark on the Spartans’ defensive line.
* Aidan Chiles’ 10-completion, two-interception performance in Michigan State’s season-opener was his “floor,” according to offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, who has a plan to improve the quarterback’s performance going forward.
* Jonathan Smith had a name for Week 1 in college football: overreaction Saturday. He’s cautioning fans not to put too much stock into an opening performance that likely underwhelmed many.
* The run game and discipline are two of Matt Wenzel’s five things to watch in this week’s matchup.
Michigan State
* Passing: Aidan Chiles 10-14, 114 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
* Rushing: Kay’ron Lynch-Adams 9 rush, 101 yards, 1 TD
* Receiving: Michael Masunas 2 rec., 29 yards, 0 TD
* Tackles: Angelo Grose 12
* Sacks: Khris Bogle 1.5
* Interceptions: Grose, Nikai Martinez 1
Maryland
* Passing: Billy Edwards Jr. 20-27, 311 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
* Rushing: Roman Hemby 14 rush, 66 yards, 1 TD
* Receiving: Tai Felton 7 rec., 178 yards, 2 TD
* Tackles: Glendon Miller 6
* Sacks: None
* Interceptions: Ruben Hyppolite II, Miller 1
Friday, Sept. 6
Western Illinois at Indiana
Duke at Northwestern
Saturday, Sept. 7
Texas at Michigan, noon (FOX)
Rhode Island at Minnesota, noon (Peacock)
Bowling Green at Penn State, noon (BTN)
Akron at Rutgers, noon (BTN)
Iowa State at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
Michigan State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)
Eastern Michigan at Washington, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)
South Dakota at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. (FS1)
Kansas at Illinois, 7 p.m. (FS1)
Colorado at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. (NBC)
Western Michigan at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. (BTN)
Boise State at Oregon, 10 p.m. (Peacock)
Maryland
Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Maryland
![Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Maryland Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs Maryland](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/09/06191517/tunnel.jpg)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Michigan State has an excellent chance to make a strong statement this weekend that the rebuilding job under new head coach Jonathan Smith is ahead of schedule, if the Spartans can take down 8-point favorite Maryland on Saturday.
A Michigan State victory would be a strong statement within the football industry, but maybe not as strong from a fan perspective. I’m not sure Maryland’s football brand is as respected in the state of Michigan and regionally as it should be, for a program that has gone 8-5 in the past two seasons and defeated Auburn and North Carolina State in bowl games the past two years.
Maryland is good. The Terrapins are coming off a 50-7 victory over a weak UConn team last week. Maryland’s offense looked very good against a weak, soft, conservative UConn defense.
Michigan State’s defense was ahead of schedule last week against a mediocre Florida Atlantic offense. Michigan State’s offense was behind schedule, experiencing inconsistent accuracy and decision-making at the quarterback position, which was somewhat understandable considering it was sophomore Aidan Chiles’ first start as a college player. MSU’s running game also lacked consistency, especially in short yardage and in the red zone.
The big news from Maryland last week in my opinion was the excellent play of new starting quarterback Billy Edwards. The 6-foot-3, 222-pound redshirt-junior had waited behind the outgoing, record-breaking Taulia Tagovailoa for three years. Tagovailoa left Maryland as the Big Ten’s all-time passing leader. He went undrafted and is now playing in the CFL.
Edwards looked good last week. He’s strong in the pocket, is a physical ball carrier on designed runs or scrambles. He was accurate over the middle on intermediate routes, and seemed to do a good job processing coverages, although UConn’s coverages were simple, slow and soft.
I saw this Michigan State vs Maryland game as a swing game on the schedule prior to the season. But considering how well Edwards and his receivers looked last week, and Michigan State’s sputtering start on offense, this game goes from being a swing game to uphill slog for the Spartans.
Maryland
Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school
![Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school](https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/09/image-50-1.png?resize=1200%2C675&quality=85&strip=all)
One teen shot another during a dispute in a Maryland high school bathroom Friday in what authorities called an isolated incident.
The victim, a 15-year-old student at Joppatowne High School, was in serious condition after being airlifted to a hospital, the Harford County Public Schools said in a news release, citing information it received from the county sheriff’s department.
A 16-year-old student whom police identified as the shooter fled shortly afterward but was caught minutes later nearby, according to the news release. Officials said no information would be released immediately about the weapon, which had not been recovered.
The state’s attorney has said the suspect will be charged, the release said, citing Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler.
Shortly after the shooting, the sheriff’s office asked people to avoid the area, but emphasized that the confrontation was an “isolated incident, not an active shooter.” A parent-student reunification center was established at a nearby church. More than 100 personnel responded to the high school about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore, Gahler said.
The fight happened two days after a shooter whom authorities identified as a 14-year-old student killed four people at a high school outside Atlanta. Wednesday’s attack renewed debate about safe storage laws for guns and had parents wondering how to talk to their children about school shootings and trauma.
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