Education - Public Schools - Professional Development
Summary
SB904 makes two major changes to Maryland public schools law. First, it creates new requirements for county boards that want to enter into a service contract for school-related services. Before contracting out, a county board must submit information to the State Department of Education showing that it considered alternatives, including reorganizing or reevaluating services, and must demonstrate projected savings of at least 20% over the life of the contract. The bill also specifies how those savings must be calculated, including direct costs, overhead, transition costs, and additional staffing or equipment costs, while excluding savings that come only from reducing employee pay or benefits.
Second, the bill directs the State Department of Education to design a new statewide professional development system for paraeducators and other education support professionals by July 1, 2027. The system must be paid, occur during weekday school hours, and include training on teamwork with teachers, student performance and behavior, student health and safety, safe physical restraint, crisis prevention and de-escalation, and job-specific skills. County boards must then provide that professional development to all covered employees by June 30, 2028.
Impact
The bill adds new sections 6-132 and 6-133 to the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. It increases state oversight of school service contracting by requiring pre-contract submissions, cost comparisons, employee assistance plans, and post-contract audits with public findings. It also imposes new statewide professional development obligations on county boards and the State Department of Education for paraeducators and education support professionals, while preserving any stronger requirements in collective bargaining agreements or benefit programs.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support. It passed the Senate unanimously on third reading and later passed the House with a substantial majority, indicating generally favorable sentiment toward both the contracting oversight and the professional development provisions. The committee report was favorable with amendments, suggesting the bill was supported but refined during the process.
Contention
The main policy tension in SB904 is between cost-saving outsourcing and employee protections. The service contract provisions reflect concern that school systems should not contract out services without proving meaningful savings and without first considering alternatives, while also protecting affected employees through placement efforts, contractor hiring preferences where feasible, and advance notice. The professional development provisions are less contentious on their face, but they do impose new administrative and funding obligations on county boards and the Department, which may have prompted the amendments and the requirement to consult with county boards and education-support organizations.