Strong Schools Maryland is the leading statewide, independent organization advocating for world-class schools for all Maryland students. We do three things: (1) we monitor the implementation of education policies, specifically the Blueprint for Maryland's Future; (2) we recruit Marylanders (just like you!) who care about public school students and educational equity, and we equip them with the tools, skills. and networks necessary make a positive difference; and (3) we use legislative and regulatory advocacy tactics to ensure we all have our voices heard by critical decision-makers.

Yes, we did just pass the Blueprint--and secure a veto override! But we are far from done. In the policy cycle, we're headed into stage 5-policy implementation. This is where most big policy reform efforts are made or broken--at the point where real people on the ground have to put lofty policy goals into actual practice. It's not shiny like the activities of the 90 day legislative session, but it's critical to ensuring that the hopes we had when we fought for the Blueprint will become reality. You'll also notice that stakeholder engagement and education are at the center of the cycle--that's because YOU are critical every step of the way!

There are many different ways to get involved with Strong Schools Maryland. You can read about the different ways to get involved here. The fastet way to stay up to date is by signing up for our email list. We are also recruiting team and action leaders. If you are interested in learning more about what it means to be a team or action leader, please email allie@strongschoolsmaryland.org to set up a time to have a one on one conversation.

Strong Schools Maryland is a fiscally sponsored program of a 501(c)(3) organization. This means we rely on fundraising to meet our annual organizational budget. Our fiscal sponsor is the Fund for Educational Excellence. Despite this relationship, we operate with our own staff and advisory council. We have been fortuante to receive the support of many Maryland based foundations and private individuals committed to creating world-class schools for every student. In addition, we are fortunate to have a base of dedicated supporters who have donated through our online portal, contributing as little as $3.00 at a time. We are grateful for every supporter and every donor who believes in our mission. If you would like to make a donation, you can donate online here or mail a check to the following address: Fund for Educational Excellence c/o Strong Schools Maryland 800 N Charles St Suite 400 Baltimore, MD 21201 You check should be made out to the Fund for Educational Excellence with "Strong Schools Maryland" in the notes line.

If you want to reach out to a specific individual, you can learn more about our organizational leadership team here. For general inquires, please email hello@strongschoolsmaryland.org. Please allow 48-72 hours for responses.

Yes! Legislators wisely built a pause button into the Blueprint to slow implementation so the economy can recover before funding ramps up further. We know that the long-term path to building a strong economy and faster recovery runs through increased investment in public school students and school communities. Despite the recent influx of federal relief funding, we're keeping a watchful eye to ensure the state and local governments responsible for implementing the Blueprint continue to fund their fair share. You can read more about the economic impact of implementing the Blueprint here.

There are a lot of valid answers to this question. The state was in need of systemically increased and equitably distributed funding for public schools. The disparities in funding adequacy gaps helped drive opportunity gaps and overall outcome declines for wide swaths of student groups across the state. Concentrated poverty in particular, when large numbers of students experiencing poverty are served in one school, made the need clear.