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Primary Election Day is July 19, 2022; General Election Day is November 8, 2022.
Register to Vote by June 28, 2022 for the Primary; and October 18, 2022 for the General Election Request a Mail-in Ballot by July 12, 2022 for the Primary Election; and by November 1, 2022 for the l General Election) Vote by Mail (Mail-in Ballot) Candidates Running (alphabetical order) April Christina Curley No Website Ashley Esposito https://ashleyesposito.com https://www.facebook.com/espositoforbaltimore Cortly "C.D." Witherspoon No Website Dr. Kevin Parson http://www.kevinparson.com/about-kevin.html Kwame Kenyatta-Bey No Website Michael Eugene Johnson https://www.facebook.com/mikegojohnson Salimah Jasani https://www.facebook.com/SalimahForBmore Thank you to the Baltimore Bulletin for sharing their 2022 Candidate Tracker. Please consider sharing with your community members. There are, currently, 5 surveys open that may be of interest to you and your communities (*for Baltimore City residents).
Surveys for Baltimore residents: Charm City Circulator Survey https://streetsofbaltimore.com/tdp BPD Redistricting Survey https://www.baltimorepolice.org/redistricting-feedback-form Baltimore Blueway Master Plan Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2ZMGZHX DPW Rolls Out Resident Advisory Council (Deadline may have passed) https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2022-05-03-dpw-rolls-out-resident-advisory-council BOPA Survey (Artscape, Book Festival, Arts programs, Artists, etc) Due May 31 https://app.keysurvey.com/f/41594641/4433/ Residents with Children: MSDE Special Education Parent Involvement Survey For any parent of children receiving special education services https://www.mdparentsurvey.com Deadline- May 27th MSDE Strategic Planning Survey https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/StrategicPlanningSurvey/index.aspx Baltimore City Public Schools 2022 Student Survey For students in grades 5th-12th grade Due May 31 https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/2022-student-survey Registration for City Schools’ free summer learning program https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/summerlearning This week - City Schools will host their virtual meeting on the student code of conduct for parents on Wed., May 25 at 5:30pm. Code of Conduct covers disciplinary responses, student and parent rights with respect to suspensions, explusions, and other disruptive behavior. https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/code-conduct There are great ways to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week this year! Financial Gift cards Food in the break room Drinks in the break room Cinco de Mayo themed Happy Hour Support their Donor Choose Project Non-Financial Leave a message via email or Class Dojo - Kind Words or Encouragement Homemade thank you cards from parents, children and community Volunteer in the classroom and help for a few hours. Donate School Supplies  Governor Hogan submitted a supplemental budget to the legislature last week. The budget adds $139.9 million to Maryland’s education reform plan.
Blueprint for Maryland’s Future updates https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/02/02/without-full-staff-blueprint-accountability-board-faces-deadline-for-education-reform-implementation/ This year is a gubernatorial election. We will vote for a new Governor, State's Attorney, Comptroller, and other positions. Baltimore City has changed polling places! Find your new polling location here https://boe.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/2022-02-23%201041%20-%20PUBLISHED%20-%202022%20Gubernatorial%20Polling%20Place%20Changes.pdf This year, Baltimore City voters will be able to vote for At Large members for the Baltimore City School Board. This is the first time Baltimore City voters will have a chance to vote for their school board members. No one has filed yet. I do not believe that they file under Republican or Democratic. https://www.elections.maryland.gov/elections/2022/primary_candidates/gen_cand_lists_2022_3_by_county_3.html Letter to BFA Families Regarding Interrupted Learning and Lack of Communication at City Schools1/11/2022
 On January 11, Baltimore Family Alliance sent the following communication to BFA families. Good morning Baltimore Families!
Late in the evening on Sunday, City Schools announced they were moving 57 (and counting) schools to a virtual format beginning Monday, through January 19th. Many families were faced with an inability to find childcare or ensure their child has meals typically provided through school - which in turn impacted parents’ ability to work. This lack of communication at a reasonable hour, resulting in no time to make adequate plans, has been extremely frustrating for many parents. We know that the Baltimore Teachers Union advocated for COVID testing prior to (not after) the return to the classroom, in an attempt to prevent large-scale positive pools that would risk shutting down entire schools. It can feel as though decisions are being made in a vacuum, without understanding the complete downstream implications on city families from the standpoint of mental, emotional and economic well-being. The past two years have been incredibly stressful for students, families and school staff. We are fortunate that the Baltimore City Public School System (City Schools) has been a national leader in COVID safety precautions for schools, with weekly pool testing, masking requirements, quarantining protocols, and requiring teachers and staff to be vaccinated. Where City Schools have failed to meet the needs of our families is in effectively communicating and in balancing risk in a way that allows City families to be successful. We have heard the stories of significant delays in communicating pooled testing results to families and unclear timelines for quarantining across the district. These are standards that should be managed and communicated at the district level. All families deserve the same transparency and support, regardless of which school their child attends. Ultimately, families decide whether Baltimore City is the right place for their children, and whether public school is the best option. Some families have the resources to send their children to private schools or to homeschool their children - but not every family can do this. That is why it is so important to advocate for policies that account for the needs of ALL families, so that ALL families have access to resources for educational and economic success. Please share your voice to ensure all Baltimore families get the support they need. Two advocacy opportunities are listed below - the first is time-sensitive. Today (January 11) is City Schools’ January Public Board Meeting. Public comment will be taken at this meeting. Any members of the public interested in participating must e-mail Leatrice Jones (LLJones02@bcps.k12.md.us) between 4:15 – 5:15 PM on January 11. Only the first ten submissions will be included in the Board meeting. The email to Leatrice Jones must include:
More details about the public board meeting can be found here. You can email City Schools leadership directly and let them know what your family needs to make City Schools schools work for your family: Dr. Santelises’ email is CitySchoolsCEO@bcps.k12.md.us Christian Gant, Board Executive Director’s email is cgant@bcps.k12.md.us Parent and Community Advisory Board’s Email is pcab@bcps.k12.md.us In past years, we have written letters, rallied, and marched for adequate school funding. We kickoff 2022 by demanding better communication from City Schools. Baltimore Family Alliance thanks you for your continued engagement in education advocacy. Thank you! Powered by the critical support of 5,000 volunteers, we advocate for Baltimore City to be a family friendly city.
Three Reasons to Invest in Baltimore Family Alliance:
DONATE BEFORE DEC. 31, 2021 Ways to give: Give through PayPal Donate Monthly Workplace Giving: Workplace giving helps Baltimore Family Alliance make an even bigger difference. Ask your employer about matching gifts. Make a grant from a Donor Advised Fund Send a check to our mailbox: Baltimore Family Alliance EIN: 26-2114871 P.O. Box 6462 Baltimore, MD 21230  On Thursday, October 7, Seema Iyer, PhD of Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance—Jacob France Institute joined Baltimore Family Alliance virtually for our Community Conversation: What does the Census Data mean for our families? Seema D. Iyer Ph.D. is associate director of the Jacob France Institute (JFI) in the University of Baltimore’s Merrick School of Business. Dr. Iyer oversees the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance at JFI, which is also part of the Urban Institute’s National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership of sites that provide longitudinal, community-based data on demographics, housing, crime, education and sustainability. Prior to joining UBalt, Dr. Iyer served as Chief of Research & Strategic Planning for Baltimore City’s Planning Department. What does the Census Data mean for our families?
According to EdNote, "The census directly influences education, as census counts impact the federal funds allocated for educational programs. Census data determines funding for special education, Head Start, school nutrition, after-school programming and classroom technology, as well as maternal and child health programs." Given this importance, Baltimore families need to know what do these recent Census numbers mean for them. In September, guest speaker Dr. Jeanette Beaudry, pediatrician and public health expert from Johns Hopkins Children's Center, joined Baltimore Family Alliance virtually for New Babies on the Block: Vaccinations! She answers tons of questions about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations. She discussed the mRNA vaccines and how the body develops immunity against the virus. |
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June 2022
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