https://chestertownspy.org Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown Wed, 07 May 2025 16:43:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/#comments Wed, 07 May 2025 13:00:06 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/ Even as changes to the state’s education reform act were being signed into law Tuesday, state officials and advocates were already talking about changes they want to see next in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The debate over House Bill 504 – the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act – was among the sharpest in […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/07/blueprint-bill-that-avoids-some-of-the-most-severe-education-cuts-is-signed-into-law/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/16/nonprofits-report-calls-for-broad-based-approach-to-improving-reading-scores/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/16/nonprofits-report-calls-for-broad-based-approach-to-improving-reading-scores/#respond Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:00:33 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=183635   Alice Tickler tries to stay positive when it comes to educating young children, but the longtime teacher admits there are some things that can make it hard — and it’s not anything the students do. Things like the legislature’s failure to fund a training program, specifically for reading and math teachers. As a teacher […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/16/nonprofits-report-calls-for-broad-based-approach-to-improving-reading-scores/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/10/community-invited-to-washington-college-politalks-with-hon-heather-mizeur/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/10/community-invited-to-washington-college-politalks-with-hon-heather-mizeur/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:00:38 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=183501 Washington College’s own student-led organization, PoliTalks, invites the community to an engaging evening of dialogue and connection at their upcoming event, “Disagreement is Democratic: Inviting Everyone to the Table,” featuring the Honorable Heather Mizeur. This special lecture and discussion filled community dinner offers an opportunity for engagement on the importance of dialogue and political discourse in democracy. […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/10/community-invited-to-washington-college-politalks-with-hon-heather-mizeur/feed/ 2 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/07/wc-launches-updated-dei-website-pages-by-heather-fabritz/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/07/wc-launches-updated-dei-website-pages-by-heather-fabritz/#comments Mon, 07 Apr 2025 11:00:19 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=183459 At The Chestertown Spy, we believe in the power of the written word to bear witness, to provoke thought, and to strengthen the bridge between generations. In this spirit, we are proud to introduce a new series of contributions from student journalists at Washington College—voices that carry the urgency and clarity of youth in uncertain […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/07/wc-launches-updated-dei-website-pages-by-heather-fabritz/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/01/upper-shore-strt1up-roadshow-open-to-the-public-at-washington-college/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/01/upper-shore-strt1up-roadshow-open-to-the-public-at-washington-college/#respond Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:00:58 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=183312 Business minded residents of the Eastern Shore are invited to an exciting showcase of regional entrepreneurship at the 2025 Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow. Join the Upper Shore Regional Council, and Washington College’s Department of Business Management on Tuesday, April 15 at 2:30 – 6 p.m. on Washington College’s campus as aspiring entrepreneurs from Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/01/upper-shore-strt1up-roadshow-open-to-the-public-at-washington-college/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/01/maryland-faces-418-million-catastrophic-loss-in-pandemic-era-relief-funds/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/01/maryland-faces-418-million-catastrophic-loss-in-pandemic-era-relief-funds/#respond Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:00:04 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/01/maryland-faces-418-million-catastrophic-loss-in-pandemic-era-relief-funds/ The U.S. Department of Education told states Friday that it was canceling previous approvals to spend down remaining COVID-19 recovery funds, a change that could mean $418 million to the Maryland Department of Education. The change was announced in a letter from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon that was dated Friday at 5 p.m., and […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/01/maryland-faces-418-million-catastrophic-loss-in-pandemic-era-relief-funds/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/22/md-senate-panels-vote-on-blueprint-bill-straddles-house-administration-versions/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/22/md-senate-panels-vote-on-blueprint-bill-straddles-house-administration-versions/#respond Sat, 22 Mar 2025 17:38:26 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/22/md-senate-panels-vote-on-blueprint-bill-straddles-house-administration-versions/ A Senate committee advanced parts of Maryland’s sweeping education reform plan Friday, splitting the difference between versions of the bill advanced by the House and the Moore administration and setting up a showdown in the waning days of the legislature. The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee approved a four-year pause in the start of funding […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/22/md-senate-panels-vote-on-blueprint-bill-straddles-house-administration-versions/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/13/house-approves-blueprint-education-bill-that-rejects-most-cuts-proposed-by-governor/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/13/house-approves-blueprint-education-bill-that-rejects-most-cuts-proposed-by-governor/#respond Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:00:21 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/13/house-approves-blueprint-education-bill-that-rejects-most-cuts-proposed-by-governor/ As expected, the House of Delegates approved an amended, comprehensive education plan Tuesday night that rejected cuts proposed by Gov. Wes Moore (D). The 100-39 party-line vote sets up a potential showdown with the Senate over the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act. Senate leaders have indicated that, in the face of a projected $3 […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/13/house-approves-blueprint-education-bill-that-rejects-most-cuts-proposed-by-governor/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/07/chesapeake-changemakers-and-natural-maryland-exhibits-coming-to-washington-colleges-muse-a-community-museumwx-bird/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/07/chesapeake-changemakers-and-natural-maryland-exhibits-coming-to-washington-colleges-muse-a-community-museumwx-bird/#respond Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:00:04 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182869 Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society (CES) announces the opening of two new exhibits at MuSE: A Community Museum, in downtown Chestertown, a space dedicated to work at the intersection of environment and community. The two exhibits will be open March 7 to July 26. Chesapeake Changemakers: Preservation, Communication, Innovation Created by students in the Fall 2024 Chesapeake […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/07/chesapeake-changemakers-and-natural-maryland-exhibits-coming-to-washington-colleges-muse-a-community-museumwx-bird/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/rare-first-edition-of-isaac-masons-autobiography-on-life-as-a-slave-comes-to-kent-county/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/rare-first-edition-of-isaac-masons-autobiography-on-life-as-a-slave-comes-to-kent-county/#comments Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:23 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182795 The Miller Library at Washington College has recently acquired a first edition of “The Life of Isaac Mason as a Slave.” The autobiography details the life of a young man who escaped from enslavement in Chestertown, Maryland just up the road from the archives where the book now resides. Mason’s biography details that 1846 escape, how he found […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/rare-first-edition-of-isaac-masons-autobiography-on-life-as-a-slave-comes-to-kent-county/feed/ 3 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/28/top-10-birds-migrating-through-mds-eastern-shore/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/28/top-10-birds-migrating-through-mds-eastern-shore/#comments Fri, 28 Feb 2025 13:00:58 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182739 With spring nearly here, Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory (FBBO), part of Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society (CES), is sharing data and stats from its 27th year of fall migration banding. The 2024 season saw the Observatory continue its long-term monitoring of migratory bird populations thanks to its location on the College’s River and Field Campus (RAFC), an […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/28/top-10-birds-migrating-through-mds-eastern-shore/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/06/high-priority-kcps-seeking-community-support-for-hb0736/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/06/high-priority-kcps-seeking-community-support-for-hb0736/#respond Thu, 06 Feb 2025 14:32:26 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182319 Kent County Public Schools is asking everyone to support its efforts to seek more money from the state to build a new Kent County Middle School. There is a bill being heard in the Maryland General Assembly that would do this and KCPS needs the community’s help getting it passed! There are three ways you […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/06/high-priority-kcps-seeking-community-support-for-hb0736/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/04/drafting-dissent-the-use-of-drawings-in-cubas-recent-activist-scene-now-open-at-washington-college-kohl-gallery/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/04/drafting-dissent-the-use-of-drawings-in-cubas-recent-activist-scene-now-open-at-washington-college-kohl-gallery/#respond Tue, 04 Feb 2025 12:00:57 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182259 Washington College’s Kohl Gallery will launch “Drafting Dissent: The Use of Drawings in Cuba’s Recent Activist Scene” with an opening reception on Thursday, February 6, 2025, from 5-6:30 p.m., preceded by a curatorial tour led by scholar Maria de Lourdes Mariño Fernandez from 4-5 p.m. The exhibition, showcasing powerful works by Cuban artists/activists Camila R. […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/04/drafting-dissent-the-use-of-drawings-in-cubas-recent-activist-scene-now-open-at-washington-college-kohl-gallery/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/29/art-activism-and-history-events-open-to-public-at-washington-college-this-february/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/29/art-activism-and-history-events-open-to-public-at-washington-college-this-february/#respond Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:00:39 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182141 Washington College bustles with activity this February, offering a diverse calendar of events for the community. Whether you’re interested in art, history, literature, music, or the natural world, there’s something for everyone. Celebrate the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a Day of Reflection and Action The Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/29/art-activism-and-history-events-open-to-public-at-washington-college-this-february/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/28/washington-college-hosts-maryland-corps-for-day-of-civic-engagement/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/28/washington-college-hosts-maryland-corps-for-day-of-civic-engagement/#respond Tue, 28 Jan 2025 12:00:10 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182119 Earlier this month, Washington College welcomed over 450 enthusiastic, service-minded Marylanders from across the state for the first All Corps event for the current class of Maryland Corps, Service Year Option, and AmeriCorps Members. Led by Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation (DSCI) Secretary Paul Monteiro, Jr., staff of Washington College and DSCI staff created a […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/28/washington-college-hosts-maryland-corps-for-day-of-civic-engagement/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/24/wood-foundation-awards-100k-grant-to-radcliffe-creek-school/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/24/wood-foundation-awards-100k-grant-to-radcliffe-creek-school/#respond Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:00:57 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/24/wood-foundation-awards-100k-grant-to-radcliffe-creek-school/ Radcliffe Creek School (RCS) was recently awarded a generous grant from the Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation to support needs-based scholarships for deserving students. The $100k grant award will remove significant financial barriers for area families who struggle to access the school’s individualized educational services, ensuring area children—who have learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/24/wood-foundation-awards-100k-grant-to-radcliffe-creek-school/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/educators-invited-to-apply-for-innovation-plant-curriculum-fellowships-from-washington-college-inbox-dominique-ellis-falcon/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/educators-invited-to-apply-for-innovation-plant-curriculum-fellowships-from-washington-college-inbox-dominique-ellis-falcon/#respond Thu, 23 Jan 2025 16:00:29 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182056 Washington College has issued a call for proposals for the inaugural group of Innovation Plant Curriculum Fellowships. These $15,000 fellowships, funded by a significant $1,846,000 grant from the Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, will support educators in developing and implementing innovative courses and programs that leverage the resources of the upcoming Innovation Plant. […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/educators-invited-to-apply-for-innovation-plant-curriculum-fellowships-from-washington-college-inbox-dominique-ellis-falcon/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/kcps-substitute-job-fair-saturday-feb-1/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/kcps-substitute-job-fair-saturday-feb-1/#respond Thu, 23 Jan 2025 12:00:42 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182052 Kent County Public Schools is seeking substitute teachers. The Office of Human Resources will be holding a job fair for substitutes from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 1 at Kent County High School. The high school is located at 25301 Lambs Meadow Road, Worton. There are many opportunities for substitutes, including filling in for […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/kcps-substitute-job-fair-saturday-feb-1/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/governors-education-bill-slows-growth-of-per-pupil-funding-worrying-advocates/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/governors-education-bill-slows-growth-of-per-pupil-funding-worrying-advocates/#respond Thu, 23 Jan 2025 11:00:36 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/governors-education-bill-slows-growth-of-per-pupil-funding-worrying-advocates/ A comprehensive education bill unveiled Wednesday by the Moore administration would slow the growth of per pupil spending beginning next year and continuing for the next eight years, raising concerns among advocates and lawmakers. The reductions begin in fiscal 2026, when the per pupil “foundation” funding was scheduled to grow from $8,789 per student to […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/23/governors-education-bill-slows-growth-of-per-pupil-funding-worrying-advocates/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/21/acclaimed-poet-james-allen-hall-awarded-2025-nea-literature-fellowship/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/21/acclaimed-poet-james-allen-hall-awarded-2025-nea-literature-fellowship/#respond Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:00:02 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=181985 Associate Professor of English and renowned poet James Allen Hall was recently announced as a recipient of the prestigious 2025 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowship in Poetry. The fellowship, which provides a grant of $25,000, will empower Hall to dedicate significant time to crafting the core poems of his forthcoming collection, Inheritance. The NEA Literature Fellowship […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/21/acclaimed-poet-james-allen-hall-awarded-2025-nea-literature-fellowship/feed/ 0