"Gov. Martin O'Malley wants to add a year to the time it takes public school teachers to achieve tenure and to tie their performance evaluations to data on how well their students are doing, changes that Maryland education leaders say will better position the state to apply for as much as $250 million in federal money.
The governor's proposal, expected to be introduced to state lawmakers Monday, came after disagreements with state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick over whether the state needed to make changes to win the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top funds."
Two months ago, O'Malley said Maryland, which boasts some of the country's top-ranked public schools, did not need to revise its laws to be successful in a program intended to reward states with the most forward-thinking education policies.
But Grasmick held fast to her belief that the state could not tap into the money without legislative changes and had been preparing to push her ideas without the governor's support, several lawmakers said.
Instead, over the past few weeks, school officials and aides to the governor have met privately with teachers union leaders, superintendents and local school board members to develop a plan that Grasmick said Friday makes her "very happy." The state's largest teachers union supports the governor's proposal.
The governor's proposal, expected to be introduced to state lawmakers Monday, came after disagreements with state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick over whether the state needed to make changes to win the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top funds."
Two months ago, O'Malley said Maryland, which boasts some of the country's top-ranked public schools, did not need to revise its laws to be successful in a program intended to reward states with the most forward-thinking education policies.
But Grasmick held fast to her belief that the state could not tap into the money without legislative changes and had been preparing to push her ideas without the governor's support, several lawmakers said.
Instead, over the past few weeks, school officials and aides to the governor have met privately with teachers union leaders, superintendents and local school board members to develop a plan that Grasmick said Friday makes her "very happy." The state's largest teachers union supports the governor's proposal.
