One of the most important responsibilities of our state and local governments is to provide an education for our kids to set them up for success. In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly passed a landmark education reform and funding bill known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, designed to address chronic under-funding of schools in some communities and make Maryland schools some of the best in the world. This legislation was the result of years of study and planning by a commission of education experts.

This year, as the state faces a historic budget deficit, policymakers are talking about slowing down and scaling back some of the goals of the Blueprint in order to reduce costs. Host Kevin Slayton talks to two dedicated education experts and advocates about how the proposed changes to the Blueprint plan could affect students and families across the state: Riya Gupta, Interim Executive Director of Strong Schools Maryland, and Liz Zogby, a special education advocate and co-chair of the Maryland Down Syndrome Coalition.

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