Nancy Grasmick – Sandy Rosenberg

In the classroom, in the middle

California’s tenure laws for public school teachers violate that state’s constitution.

So ruled a trial judge this past June.

There could be a similar lawsuit or legislation in Maryland.

I’m seeking a middle ground.

Providing incentives to our best teachers to instruct students with the greatest needs will benefit these children. Rewarding teachers for their exceptional efforts in improving outcomes for these students will help keep them in the classroom.

We already do that in Maryland.

A teacher with the highest performance evaluation for classroom work can be assisted in the repayment of academic debt with a Nancy Grasmick Teacher Award. An individual must have taught in Maryland for at least 2 years in science, technology, engineering, or math subjects or in a school where at least 75% of the students are enrolled in the free and reduced price lunch program (FRPM).

Senator Bill Ferguson and I introduced the legislation creating the Grasmick Award.

College students who commit to teaching in a school where at least 50% of the students are eligible for FRPM can receive a Teaching Fellows for Maryland Scholarship, we have also learned.

We are reviewing these programs, as well as similar incentives in other states, to learn how to incentivize our best teachers to work with our students with the greatest need.

Lessons Learned

January 16, 2014 | by delsandy | featured, Sandy's 2014 Legislative Diary | No Comments

I was at the press conference on pre-kindergarten legislation today because of a teacher and a student.

Nancy Grasmick, the State Superintendent of Schools, was a guest lecturer the first year I co-taught the Legislation class at the University of Maryland Law School.

For the next 18 years, she spoke to the students about bills from the most recent General Assembly session.

And she spoke to me about getting more involved in education issues, taking political risks for the betterment of our children.

Bill Ferguson was a student in the Legislation class in 2008. Before law school, he taught in a Baltimore City school as a Teach For America member.

He was elected to the State Senate in 2010.

At a gathering of education advocates before Bill’s first session (my 29^th), I said to him, “The two of us should work together on education issues.”

Last year, we introduced legislation that would have funded a competitive grant program to stimulate innovation and expand access to high-quality early childhood education.

Today’s press conference was about a similar bill. It will be introduced by the O’Malley-Brown administration.

A teacher’s gentle prodding

March 30, 2011 | by delsandy | Sandy's 2011 Legislative Diary | No Comments

There’s a hole in my syllabus.

I have co-taught the Legislation class at the University of Maryland Law School since 1995. Each of those 16 years, one of our guest lecturers has been Dr. Nancy Grasmick, the State Superintendent of Schools.

Dr. Grasmick announced her retirement this afternoon.

Every class, Nancy would gently urge me to rethink my position on public education – to be more willing to challenge the status quo on educational policy.

Her prodding was one of the reasons I joined with Senator Bill Ferguson, who had taken the class, to form a coalition of education reform advocates this past fall.

As an elected official, I can offer no higher praise of someone than to say that she influenced my position on public policy.

I hope Nancy will come out of retirement for one hour and fifty minutes this fall semester to dialogue with me and my class one more time.

Another dose of gentle prodding can’t hurt.

March 30