AALWU was recognized as a chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in July 2024. Contract negotiations began the following October and finished Wednesday.

The new contract runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.

The contract includes 12% raises, stronger protections against discrimination, establishment of a fair process for discipline and two oversight committees dedicated to addressing workplace concerns.

“I’m so proud of this contract and to be a part of a union that fought to the very end to ensure we have strong protections against discrimination” said Ryan Morris, a part-time worker at the Severn library branch.

Anne Arundel County Libraries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The union is part of  AFSCME Maryland and AFSCME’s Cultural Workers United program that targets museums, libraries and zoos. In recent years, several groups in Maryland have unionized with them, including the Baltimore Museum of Art, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Howard County Library System and Walters Art Museum.

“The ratification process is the culmination of almost a year of work designing a contract that all parties agreed to,” said Lisa Shore, a part-time worker at the Odenton library branch. “It is very exciting and a chance to build a library system that supports our amazing staff so we can support the communities we serve.”

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205

“We will try to do everything in our power to minimize the impact of redistricting, but understand that there are going to be some areas where we do not have a choice,” Bedell said Wednesday. “I feel really good about [these recommendations].”

The recommendations are not the final map but the starting point for the board, which will review, potentially modify and vote on the recommendations in November.

In both options, some elementary students are reassigned from Davidsonville Elementary to Central Elementary, and roughly 100 students from Nantucket Elementary are moved from Crofton Middle and High schools to Arundel Middle and High.

The first option shifts about 1,500 students. About 400 high school students in the Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary attendance area would move from Annapolis High to South River High.

The second shifts about 1,100 students and proposes moving a portion of the Apex Arts program at Annapolis High to a new, yet-to-be-determined location.

Both recommendations include the same “legacy student” option from phase one, allowing students entering 12th grade in the 2026–27 school year to remain at their currently assigned high school.

“We are certainly dismayed,” said Alex Williams, a father who has helped lead a coalition of Crofton families opposed to their students changing schools.

The group is frustrated that elementary school students will have to commute on Route 3, and they believe the listed capacity of several schools is inaccurate, potentially meaning the move is not justified. They plan to pressure the board to revisit how many students schools can accommodate.

“Displacing 200 students is unnecessary, and we are determined in [our efforts] showing these reporting flaws,” Williams said.

Anne Arundel is projected to gain nearly 6,000 students over the next six or seven years. The district cannot secure outside funding for new schools while there are empty seats, and currently there are about 14,000.

The redistricting process is taking place in two phases.

The first covered the northern half of the county. Approximately 6,400 students were rezoned and two new schools — Severn Run High and Two Rivers Elementary — were opened. That map took effect in August and rerouted seniors were allowed to choose whether to finish at their original school.

This phase focuses on the southern half of the county, including the Southern, South River, Crofton, Annapolis, Broadneck, Severna Park and Arundel high school clusters.

In the past, redistricting recommendations were drawn up by committees, which often resulted in certain communities being overrepresented. This time, Bedell wanted to avoid that by starting with three scenarios drawn by a third-party contractor, based strictly on population data and meant to be objective. To collect community feedback, the district developed an online portal where residents could look at potential changes and leave feedback.

In the weeks after the portal’s launch on Feb. 1, board members were inundated with families arguing their communities should be the exception to a move.

The website had 46,000 unique visitors and nearly 14,000 pieces of feedback. Crofton, South River and Severna Park high schools had the most engagement, with a drop-off in feedback from Arundel, Annapolis and Southern high schools.

In addition to the portal, the district held three meetings in response to overwhelming demand for in-person comment opportunities.

The Crofton community has been outspoken and organized since the portal launched, developing alternative scenarios, turning out in large numbers at community meetings and flooding the feedback portal.

The feedback portal remains open in a different form, now accepting comments on Bedell’s recommendation through Sept. 5. With the release of the recommendations, redistricting is now out of Bedell’s hands.

“The board has a decision to make, and the board can do some further surgery, some further shaping of the maps, and then ultimately, they will take a vote,” Bedell said.

The board of education will hold a workshop on Bedell’s recommendations on Aug. 18. One or more public briefings will be held in October on the plan the board chooses, and the final vote will take place on Nov. 19.

The plan will go into effect in August 2026.

As of Thursday, there are 32 days left in summer vacation.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205

Growing up in Rochester, New York, Bedell spent stretches of his childhood in foster care and struggling to find money for food. In second grade, after a teacher told him he would never amount to anything, he stopped attending school regularly. It was not until high school that his love for basketball and an inspiring teacher motivated him to take school seriously.

Before coming to Anne Arundel in 2022, Bedell was a principal in the Houston Independent School District, assistant superintendent for high schools in Baltimore County Public Schools, and superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools in Missouri. In Kansas City, he was celebrated for leading the district to regain the school’s state accreditation, which it lost in 2012 due to repeatedly missing performance targets.

In Anne Arundel, Bedell has overseen the opening of two new schools, billion-dollar budgets and a county-wide redistricting that has left some unhappy. The Capital Gazette spoke with him July 2. Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

What is the purpose of K-through-12 education?I think, ultimately, we want kids to have a basic foundational understanding of the four cores [English, math, science and history] and the extracurriculars that are being provided. … I think for us, making sure that kids have a well-rounded, diverse educational experience will prepare them to be globally competitive, and that should be our purpose all day long.

You’ve taught all over the country. What do you think makes Anne Arundel a unique place to learn and/or teach?I feel like it’s a gold mine out here. I honestly don’t think people really understand how good they have it. … The vast majority of our employees have their kids in the system. Let me tell you something, it is a whole different mindset when your own kids are in the system. What you not only want for your kid, but what you want for other kids? Probably well over 95% of our people enroll their kids into this system, and that was not something I had in Kansas City.

With generative AI taking a role in everyday life and posing challenges for schools regulating academic integrity, what does academic integrity mean to you?We’re working on some policies around that. But to me, I think for us, I want our kids to understand that we have an expectation that you create products that derive from an original thought, and that there is the ability to utilize technology to kind of help you then shape it the way that you wanted [your work] to be shaped.

What advice do you have for a student who applies themselves in school, but they’re not really sure what to do when they graduate?I mean, I just would say to kids, I was the same way when I graduated. I did not necessarily know what I wanted to do, and that’s the reason why you ultimately have a liberal arts type opportunity to get a taste of different things when you go through college, and then, you know, try to intern and do those kind of things, to get different experiences, because you will learn what you don’t like, and you will learn what may pique your interest. And sometimes people will go to college, get their college degrees, and then they majored in what they thought they were going to do, and they get out and they realize this isn’t what I wanted to do, and then they find themselves doing something totally different. But because you’ve gotten that diverse experience with getting a taste of a little bit of everything, it really puts you in a position now to be able to pivot.

A new cellphone policy rolled out last year. How successful was it? And do you think students should anticipate anything changing next year?There will be no changes next year at this point, but I will tell you: the second I start getting emails that this [policy] is regressing back to what it once was, I will move to a total ban. [Students are allowed to have their phones if they are off and out of sight throughout the day.] I would not hesitate to recommend a total ban. We did not get a whole bunch of emails from people complaining that the kids were out of control because if I would have gotten those emails, we would have pivoted during the school year. I’m dead serious. I don’t want the distractors, and honestly, I want to give our kids, our students, the benefit of the doubt. If it was up to me, I would have done a total ban.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.

Mayor Gavin Buckley, elected in 2017, is term-limited and has said he will not make endorsements until after the primary. Earlier last week, Robert “Bob” O’Shea filed to run as a Republican, the only one to enter the race so far.

Pindell Charles was a prosecutor in Baltimore, and Littmann is a civil environmental lawyer. Though they were both elected to the City Council in 2013, their approaches to legislation highlight their differences.

As of July 12, Pindell Charles has sponsored 182 bills in her career while Littmann sponsored 61. Littmann did not run for reelection in 2017 because, he said, he found a natural successor for the ward — his former intern Marc Rodriguez, who held the seat from 2017 to 2021 — and his day job was too consuming at the time. On average, they both sponsored around 15 bills per year.

To analyze their legislative priorities, the Capital Gazette reviewed all the bills sponsored by the two elected officials and sorted them into 10 categories, including areas like housing and development, public health and safety, and city operations. By grouping the legislation this way, patterns emerge that show where each politician focused most of their efforts.

For both aldermen, the majority of their legislation deals with either city business or zoning. For example, leasing city property for events.  

They diverge with their other top categories. Littmann’s is environmental policy while Pindell Charles’ is ceremonial acts.

Pindell Charles grew up in Ward 3 and can trace her ancestry back to an indentured servant who arrived in Annapolis in 1704. Her family has been in Annapolis ever since.

From 1983 to 2004, Pindell Charles was an assistant state’s attorney and prosecutor. She trained prosecutors, including current State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County Anne Colt Leitess and Maryland Supreme Court Justice Shirley Watts. After Pindell Charles retired, she worked briefly in the Anne Arundel Department of Health and then as a community outreach specialist in public schools until 2021.

Littmann grew up in New Jersey and moved to Annapolis in 2010. He and his wife, Marlene Niefeld, run K&B Ace Hardware on Forest Drive. Niefeld’s father opened the store and the couple purchased it from him in 2007. Littmann says he is not involved in day-to-day operations.

Ceremonial acts

Littmann sponsored six public recognition bills — mostly certificates for retiring city employees — while Pindell Charles sponsored 33.

“I didn’t want to do things that cost the city money,” Littmann said.

Pindell Charles says she sponsored so many of these types of bills because she wants to preserve Black history and establish a sense of place for Black Annapolitans and others who historically felt unwelcome.

“It gives a person a sense of place,” she said.

Her bills have successfully sought to rename streets and buildings or to recognize holidays like Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples Day. She sponsored four bills to rename streets and parks to commemorate city figures.

Pindell Charles points to other duties besides legislation as a reason she should be mayor. She led Ward 3 through its recovery from a tornado that devastated the community and brought Gov. Wes Moore to visit the next day in 2021.

She was also acting mayor for several weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is part of her reasoning for saying she will keep Buckley’s department heads if elected.

Shared interest in environmental policy

Littmann and Pindell Charles have sponsored eight environmental bills over one term and three terms, respectively. Most of Pindell Charles’, including requiring turtle-friendly curbs in some areas and hazard mitigation, were proposed after Littmann left the council.

Littmann’s focus on environmental policy is largely a reflection of his committee assignments — he was chair of the Environmental Matters Committee — and his interest in environmental engineering and law.

“My initial passion for being involved in public service was to positively affect environmental policy,” Littmann said.

Littmann helped establish forest conservation laws, banned coal tar sealants, and amended city code to encourage composting.

Outside of environmental work, some of the bills he points to being the most proud of include a nondiscrimination policy that prevents police from asking victims or witnesses of a crime about their residential status, and securing funding for both Hispanic and African American city liaison positions.

“In my last two years, I was awfully proud, I got my biggest things done,” Littmann said.

Littmann said one reason he stayed for only one term was that he felt there was a natural successor in his former intern and legislative aide Rodriguez, who became the first Hispanic City Council member.

Working together

Littmann and Pindell Charles were co-sponsors several times, including of a 2016 bill creating community liaison positions and another in 2014 establishing a committee to study the 2013 municipal election to look for ways to improve its procedures.

The aldermen clashed, however, in 2017 over the nondiscrimination policy Littmann called a highlight of his public career. Pindell Charles abstained from the vote.

“I believed that this legislation didn’t go far enough,” she said.

Pindell Charles said she wanted to pass the protections but also launch equal protection task forces, one for African American residents and one for “foreign-born” residents.

Littmann’s bill passed and versions of the task force ideas passed after his term ended.

The deadline to file to run is July 28.

The primary is Sept. 16 and the general election is Nov. 4.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.

“It’s a matter of being present, being in the community, being somebody that can be called upon to help residents,” said Craig Cussimanio, 54, who is running for office for the first time. “I’m big on talking to people every day, all day. I’ve got the time.”

Cussimanio was volunteering with Food Fridays, Annapolis’ food insecurity program, when he met now-Ward 2 Alderman Karma O’Neill. He volunteered with O’Neill’s first campaign in 2021, and her relationships with her constituents inspired him to run.

“I think Craig is an ideal candidate for city council based on his love of community, willingness to listen and learn and his desire to give back,” O’Neill said in a statement. “He is passionate about helping people, as seen in his five years of volunteering for the Food Fridays program — not only delivering food but being responsive to people’s individual needs.”

Ward 6 Alderman DaJuan Gay, the youngest alderman elected in Annapolis history, confirmed Thursday that he is not seeking reelection. Gay drew attention during his time on the council when warrants were issued for him after he failed to appear in court for traffic violations in 2019 and again in June.

He said he is stepping back to focus on finishing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, which has been in progress since before he was elected in 2019, and will continue to work to provide resources to residents of Ward 6 in a personal capacity.

Gay has not decided whether he will make endorsements, but said in a statement said he believes Cussimanio would be “more than willing to listen to the concerns of Ward 6 residents.”

“I have a ton of respect for DaJuan’s work for the city, specifically what he’s done for Ward 6. I’m just hoping to build on his work by bringing my skills and focus and dedication as a stay-at-home dad,” Cussimanio said.

Cussimanio lives with his wife, Kate Wagner, in Eastport. His two adult children are in college. Wagner, who was born and raised in Annapolis, works as a communications professional and is helping with Cussimanio’s campaign.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Cussimanio initially moved to Annapolis in the 1990s. His family later relocated several times for his digital communications work, from Belgium to San Francisco, before deciding to focus on raising his children. They returned and settled in Annapolis in 2020.

Ward 6 is unusual in that it is almost entirely residential.

“We don’t have a lot of large business interests or large development interests, and it really kind of brings you back to those meat-and-potato issues that are so important,” he said.

In his campaign announcement, Cussimanio said he will prioritize safety, affordability and “unity for all.”

Affordability and public safety, he said, also mean ensuring residents have access to basic services and necessities, like access to grocery stores. Many Ward 6 residents report shopping for food at Walgreens, and Cussimanio wants the city to make the nearest grocery stores safely accessible by foot.

“Let’s get the daily needs covered, and then we can talk about bigger needs,” he said.

Currently, no Democrat or Republican has filed to run for the Ward 6 seat. If the July 28 filing deadline passes, the Republican Central Committee could nominate a candidate.

Cussimanio said being unopposed won’t change his plans between now and the primary Sept. 16 or the general election Nov. 4.

“What I need to do now — and I’ve already started — is try to get to every single door in the ward, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.

The news was first reported by Eye on Annapolis. O’Shea confirmed the news in a brief phone call Wednesday.

An Annapolis resident since 2000, O’Shea worked in military and government contracting at PGM Corp., a manufacturing company based in Rochester, New York, according to his LinkedIn.

O’Shea unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2013, losing to Michael Pantelides, and for the House of Delegates District 30A in 2019, where he was defeated by Michael Busch and Alice Cain.

O’Shea is the first Republican to file for any of the Annapolis races, including the mayor and the City Council, ahead of the 2025 election. The Annapolis Republican Central Committee has not responded to emails asking whether more candidates were preparing to run.

The primary election is scheduled for Sept. 16, with a filing deadline of July 28.

If no other Republicans file, O’Shea would win the primary and face the winner of the Democratic primary, likely Jared Littmann or Rhonda Pindell Charles, on Nov. 4. Gavin Buckley, the current two-time mayor, cannot run again for the position due to term limits.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.

Cussimanio, 54, worked in communication roles for technology companies in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California, before becoming a stay-at-home parent. Gay could not be reached for comment after Cussimanio’s announcement, but he said earlier in the day in a phone call that he would only run if no other democrat filed to run in the ward.

“I have no real desire to jump back in,” said Gay.

In a press release announcing his candidacy, Cussimanio said he is running because his communities have needs that deserve to be met.

“I have the commitment, focus and resources to be a strong advocate for the residents of Ward 6. Our voices matter. All of them,” said Cussimanio. “Through my volunteerism over the last five years, visiting residents in their homes across the city, the stark contrast has become even clearer.”

Report Annapolis, a blog run by Timothy Boston, posted a statement attributed to Gay — which Gay confirmed was written by him — last week that read in part, “I have made the incredibly difficult decision not to run for a third term.”

“I will leave proud of my work and time on the city council,” the statement continued. “I extend my deepest thanks to Ward 6 for believing in the goals I’ve had for a better community, and I look forward to working alongside you as a citizen after the city elections conclude later this year.”

Gay, the youngest alderman elected in Annapolis history, said he will continue to work to provide resources to residents of Ward 6 in a personal capacity. Another priority for him, he said, is finishing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the University of Maryland, Eastern, which has been in progress since before he was elected in 2019.

In the statement given to Report Annapolis, he listed his proudest accomplishments from nearly seven years on the council, including creating the City of Annapolis Internship Program, the Children and Family Success Grant and the City of Annapolis Rental Assistance and Energy Assistance Fund.

Gay is nearing the filing deadline after a run-in with Annapolis police last month. The incident stemmed from petty offenses that escalated to a bench warrant when he failed to address the citations. Officers discovered the warrant during a traffic stop for a broken taillight and arrested Gay. He was released less than a day later, on June 11.

Gay said he was leaning toward not running again before the arrest, and it is having no effect on his thinking.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.

The question opened a mayoral forum held Wednesday by the county chapter of the NAACP and the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, a separate legal entity from the city that provides rent-controlled housing.

Current Ward 3 Alderman Rhonda Pindell Charles, a Democrat, the only other declared candidate, was invited but did not attend the forum and did not respond to an inquiry about her absence.

During the hourlong discussion, Littmann addressed topics including Black homeownership, redevelopment strategies, tenant rights and HACA’s collaboration with the mayor’s office.

“We’re creating space for substantive dialogue on the issues that matter most to our residents,” Melissa Maddox-Evans, HACA’s executive director, said in a statement.

Waddy, a lawyer and activist from Columbia, asked questions prepared by the NAACP. Maddox-Evans and Bishop Craig Coates, chairman of HACA’s board, asked questions submitted by the audience.

Waddy’s opening question was a complex one. Littmann said he recognizes disparities in Annapolis and noted that experiences vary widely even within the same racial or socioeconomic groups. To start, he said he wants his administration to accurately represent the community.

“I think it’s really important that our city government reflects listening,” Littmann said. “The first step in getting smarter is [to] listen to what people’s needs are.”

He cited his time as an alderman, when he sought Spanish-speaking employees because roughly a third of his ward spoke Spanish.

Littmann said Annapolis is facing three crises: environmental, budget and housing.

The housing crisis is unlike the other two, he said, because the city lacks a dedicated employee focused on the issue. He proposed creating a position responsible for ensuring tenants know their rights, which would require support from the city council.

Littmann also argued that the city’s planning process needs to be more proactive to prevent developers from leading the conversation, and said HACA must be a partner in the process.

“If we don’t make any changes, we’re just gonna get more of the same old, same old. The problem gets worse, and that’s why I’m suggesting we need a lot of change in that area,” Littmann said. “I think too often it’s too easy to say this is [HACA’s] problem.”

Throughout the discussion, he suggested bringing back the Capital Commission— a defunct state project meant to preserve Annapolis—, increasing accountability in the grant program, meeting quarterly with the NAACP and HACA and moving town halls directly into neighborhoods rather than host them at City Hall.

“My job as a leader is to remove barriers and make sure somebody has the opportunity to be successful,” said Littmann. “I’m here in the Housing Authority headquarters having this interview because I care about the Housing Authority and the residents here.”

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.

Once the official announcement went out on the district’s social platforms, his phone lit up with congratulations. The first calls he made were to his parents and campaign team of fellow students.

“It was a crazy feeling,” said Morgan.

Anne Arundel County is the only board of education in the country that gives its student members full voting rights, according to AACPS. As the 52nd student member of the board, Morgan was sworn in July 1 and represents 84,452 students.

The selection process is run by the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils, the representative organization of all students enrolled in AACPS secondary schools.

While slightly nervous, Morgan, 17, who beat out two other students, is focused on being an accurate representation of students.

“There’s so many students in our county, we’re in a very diverse county, and so I’m making sure that I can have plans to connect with as many students as I can,” said Morgan.

“Ever since that call on May 1, most of my preparation for this next year has been spent entirely in reflection — reflecting on myself, you know, on my journey and how I made it here,” Morgan said in his acceptance speech.

Morgan is a rising senior at Glen Burnie High School and not the typical student member of the board. He started high school with a grade point average in the 2.0s and no leadership experience.

“A big dream of mine in this role is to showcase a student who may not have a good GPA, but they’re still trying their best, they’re still doing their best,” said Morgan.

It was a scheduling mistake that led to his interest in public service. He had an empty period and his options were a technology class or a public service class. He selected public service because it sounded easy, but quickly realized he didn’t know what it meant either.

“Service, to me, is connecting with people,” said Morgan. “I realized it is what I’ve been watching my dad do my whole life — running a youth sports organization.”

Morgan is active in several school leadership clubs, and running for the board of education seemed like a natural next step.

Morgan co-founded his school’s Polar Bear Plunge Committee and helped lead an effort that raised more than $30,000 for the Special Olympics, all while being a varsity soccer player. He’s on the Athletic Leadership Council and is a lead in the school’s Club Interact, which organizes bi-annual, group community service campaigns like habitat clean-ups.

He campaigned as a student-athlete and is prepared to balance soccer with his SMOB duties. A week after the election, he met with his coaches and Glen Burnie’s athletic director to figure that out.

Being on the board of education means studying policy, seeking out opinions and taking responsibility for sometimes challenging decisions. Board meetings are roughly every other week, with frequent workshops, special events and school visits.

The first student member was elected in 1974, but they were not given voting rights until 1975, which made Anne Arundel County Public Schools the only school district in Maryland to have a student member with full voting rights, according to the district.

The student representative serves a one-year term. Previously, the representative received $8,000 in scholarship money, but this year, students successfully campaigned for a bill that increased the amount to $15,000 to match what other board members are paid. Gov. Wes Moore signed it in April.

Last year’s student member of the board, Hafsa Hamdaui, starts at the University of Virginia in the fall. During her term, Hamdaui voted on dozens of issues, including the district’s nearly $1.8 billion budget. She cast the sole dissenting vote on next year’s academic calendar because some religious holidays were excluded. She also spoke from the perspective of a generation that attends school, fearing gun violence during discussions about non-invasive weapon detection systems, which are set to come to two high schools next year.

“Hafsa has left some big shoes to fill,” said Morgan.

While on the board, he wants to focus on expanding representation for special education students and increasing awareness of career technical education and student opportunity services.

He wants to hear from students about their concerns, ideas and fears, and he can be reached over his campaign Instagram and school email: bemorgan@aacps.org.

Morgan’s first Board of Education meeting is on July 23. As of Tuesday, there are 48 days left in summer break.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.

“I had staff in the building doing summer school who came in cheering — one of them with a tear in their eye. They are very excited and ready to embrace this program wholeheartedly,” said Jessica Kallon, Maryland City’s principal.

Roughly 46% of Maryland City’s 483 students are multilingual learners, and 85% of those students speak Spanish as their first language. In a dual language program, students are taught in two languages — English for half the day and Spanish for the other half.

Many staff members at Maryland City speak Spanish, and several of the programs funded by the school’s concentration of poverty grant are conducted in Spanish.

“What does that say to the parents and to our community — that we’re embracing your language, we’re embracing your culture and we want you to feel welcomed here,” said Kallon.

It was her teachers who encouraged Kallon to reach out to Superintendent Mark Bedell and ask for a Dual Language Immersion program at Maryland City because it seemed like a perfect fit, she said.

“There also has to be an appetite by the building administration to do it, and the ability to hire multilingual staff members who are excited about teaching in this model. We feel that Maryland City meets that criteria right now,” Bedell said in an interview.

The first Dual Language immersion program at Tyler Heights Elementary began with kindergarten and first grade in the 2023–24 school year. There, 83% of students learning English met their proficiency goal on the annual state assessment for English language proficiency, compared to 30% of students in traditional instruction.

“What we have seen at Tyler Heights is that instruction in two languages has proven to be a huge benefit to multilingual students and native English speakers alike,” Bedell said in a release Tuesday.

Maryland City’s program will have about 160 students, starting with kindergarten and first grade and grow by one grade per year. Families must register for the program.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205