Maya Lora McKay

Maya Lora McKay

@mayaklora.bsky.social

Covering Baltimore City Public Schools, school choice & early childhood education at The Banner. Happiest in a classroom, reading weird fiction and at the movies she/her/hers šŸ“Baltimore

544 followers288 following145 posts

Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Some high schoolers will be old enough to vote next week. The Baltimore Banner's education team wondered what they might want out of their school board candidates - so we invited them to bring all their questions to a candidate forum. They didn't hold back. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comWe asked Baltimore students to grill school board candidates. They delivered.At a candidate forum hosted by The Banner and the Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City, the teens spoke candidly about where they think the district falls short and pushed office seekers to t...
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

About 1,500 people told Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Jermaine Dawson what they want out of their schools in his first 100 days. They want higher standards at and equal investment in all schools - not just the competitive, flagship ones. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comBaltimore families ask schools CEO for higher standards across the cityAfter 100 days on the job, Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Jermaine Dawson responds to feedback with a vision for the systemā€™s future.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Hamilton Elementary/Middle parents wanted to help find their kids' 7th grade science teacher. But as they printed missing person flyers and spread the word online, Rogie Legaspi faced charges of allegedly sexually abusing a boy the same age as his students. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comHow a search for a missing Baltimore teacher ended with news of his arrestHamilton Elementary/Middle School parents were worried about their kidsā€™ science teacher. Then they found out where he was.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

A Baltimore special education teacher set off to learn about sharks. Onboard a NOAA ship, she kept finding her students in the way the scientists hated school but loved working outside w/ their hands. She now uses her shark catching clout to teach 1st and 2nd grade. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comWhy a Baltimore teacher spent the summer catching sharks with scientistsMoravia Park Elementaryā€™s Cheyanne Vanderdonckt was one of 11 teachers who took part in this yearā€™s Teacher at Sea program, which is funded by NOAA.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

There are nearly 6,000 kids on the waitlist for Maryland's popular (and expensive) childcare scholarship program. The state hopes to reduce voucher costs by asking parents to chip in more. Some bills will rise over $100 a week for families barely scraping by. www.thebanner.com/education/ea...

thebanner.comTo get kids off the waitlist, Maryland will charge parents more for childcare vouchersSome families using childcare scholarships could go from paying $3 a week to more than $100 as early as January.

Maya Lora McKay reposted

Ellie Wolfe
@elliew0lfe.bsky.social

Why is the University of Maryland threatening legal action against a small, Colorado-based cannabis product company? It's shaping up to be a "David v. Goliath" fight, the owner of Terps USA, which sells terpenes for marijuana, told me. Read more: www.thebanner.com/education/hi...

thebanner.comUMD threatens legal action against cannabis product company over nameThe University of Maryland, College Park, is threatening legal action against a cannabis product company over its ā€œTerpsā€ name.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Baltimore City Public Schools is partnering w/ OpenAI & ChatGPT for Teachers for use on tasks like adapting lesson plans and prepping for substitutes. City Schools says this will involve a limited number of staff before rolling out more broadly. Read more: www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comBaltimore City Public Schools signs on to ChatGPT for TeachersBaltimore City Public Schools is the only Maryland district to sign on in this newest wave of OpenAI partnerships.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

The Trump administration has proposed erasing most rules governing Head Start and remaking the program. What happens in Maryland, where the popular early ed anti-poverty program serves 7,000 kids? w/ @lizbowie.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comHead Start gave low-income children a chance to thrive. That is now at risk.Changes to federal rules could dismantle hallmarks of the early childhood education program that serves 7,000 Maryland kids.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Nationally, less than 5% of teachers & kids in early nature-based programs are Black. Atiya Wells wants to change that. Her fully outdoor preschool prioritizes Baltimore kids, students of color and will offer pay-what-you-can tuition. Read more (and see cute kids!): www.thebanner.com/education/ea...

thebanner.comBaltimore mom creates fully outdoor preschool for kids who love nature as much as hers doAt one of the first licensed fully outdoor preschools in Maryland, low-income and kids of color won't be shut out of the benefits nature brings.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

This past February, some members of The John Carroll School were outraged when Deacon Ken Goedeke suddenly departed the school. This past Wednesday, Goedeke was arrested on charges of sexual solicitation of a minor in another Chris Hansen sex sting operation www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

thebanner.comBel Air deacon, former Catholic school teacher charged with soliciting minorKenneth Goedeke has taught religion and worked in schools for over a decade.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Wake up kids, new MCAP scores just dropped. Baltimore City students have seen some of the largest literacy gains in the state since the pandemic, though their scores remain the lowest in MD. The new CEO, a true data nerd, says he's encouraged but has work to do www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comBaltimore studentsā€™ English test scores are rising fast, even as they struggle in mathBaltimore schoolsā€™ post-pandemic gains are some of the highest in the state in English.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

High school math tests get a little wonky, because not all of them are required and kids take them at different times, but the TLDR is: Maryland kids still struggle, a lot, with algebra. Things are looking better in geometry, but far fewer kids took the test. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comMaryland students still struggle with high school-level mathMaryland students continue to struggle with high school-level math, with only 21.3% passing the Algebra I MCAP exam and disparities across districts and demographic groups.

Maya Lora McKay reposted

Baltimore Banner
@thebaltimorebanner.com

Parents wait up to two years for a spot in Hampden Christian Schoolā€™s daycare, run by members of an Anabaptist church. The Mennonitesā€™ conservative dress and beliefs stick out in hipster Hampden, yet the preschool has grown so popular that itā€™ll soon take over a former Catholic church campus.

buff.lyWhy urban parents wait years for a spot in a Mennonite-run preschoolA conservative Anabaptist group runs one of the hottest preschools in Baltimoreā€™s liberal Hampden neighborhood.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Commodore John Rodgers leaders spent all year telling immigrant families that as ICE cracked down in Southeast Baltimore, they were still safe at school. It took federal agents mere minutes and 2 detainments to unravel that promise. Where does CJR go from here? www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comFor this Baltimore school, an ICE arrest turned fear into realityAn arrest on the Commodore John Rodgers campus shattered the sense of safety school staff spent years building.

Maya Lora McKay reposted

Ellie Wolfe
@elliew0lfe.bsky.social

šŸ’°: Ron Daniels, the president of Johns Hopkins University, earned $5.8 million in 2024, according to newly released tax documents. That makes Daniels one of the highest paid college presidents in the country. Hereā€™s a breakdown of his pay: www.thebanner.com/education/hi...

thebanner.comJohns Hopkins president among Americaā€™s highest paid college leadersRon Daniels, the president of the Johns Hopkins University for 17 years, received a multiyear payout ahead of a drastic drop in federal research funding.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

For teen moms like Rylee who fell behind in class while trying to raise a baby, one family center in Baltimore has a way to help them beat the odds and get a diploma: They send their babies to free preschool in the same building. Their success rate? 89% www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comOn-site daycare helps close the graduation gap for Baltimoreā€™s teen momsHalf of teen moms donā€™t graduate high school. Excel Academy is different.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

The 7-way race for 2 Baltimore school board seats is TIGHT. With all precincts reporting Election Day results, we have 3 basic locks - both incumbents and a challenger. But less than 100 votes separate the candidates for the fourth spot on the November ballot www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

thebanner.comEsposito leads Baltimore City school board raceChallengers Kevin W. Parson and Jamar Day ended Tuesday night neck-and-neck for the fourth spot on Novemberā€™s ballot.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

At the end of the month, Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Sonja Santelises will step down after 10 years at the helm, an abnormally long and stable tenure. @lizbowie.bsky.social was there for it all ā€” let her show you exactly what this moment means app.thebaltimorebanner.com/VP3HLWKOIVAI...

app.thebaltimorebanner.comBaltimore schools are shedding an old reputation built on years of dysfunctionSonja Santelises brought hard-won stability. Will incoming CEO Jermaine Dawson take City Schools to the next level?
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Since ICE detained two Baltimore parents at their daughterā€™s school last week, little has emerged about their lives. But details about the quiet, hardworking mom and dad, as described by their neighbors, are at stark odds with the governmentā€™s narrative. app.thebaltimorebanner.com/XWV6QBFUZRCO...

app.thebaltimorebanner.comThese Baltimore parentsā€™ lives revolved around their kids. ICE detained them at school drop-off.The chaotic way two Baltimore parents were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside their daughterā€™s school stands in stark contrast to what their neighbors describe as their norma...
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Last week, ICE agents detained a mother and father during morning drop-off at a temporary learning space for Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School kids in far East Baltimore. The school is over 40% Hispanic and over a third of kids are learning English. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comICE agents detain parents dropping off kids outside Baltimore schoolICE agents detained two adults on public school property Thursday in a chaotic scene caught on video.
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Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

And if you're wondering how and why this happened even though ICE agents have been told by the city and state to avoid schools, and ICE officials themselves have previously promised to do so, read this explainer. Detainments on school grounds are pretty rare: www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comMaryland leaders canā€™t always keep ICE off school groundsAfter two parents were detained outside of an East Baltimore elementary/middle school, local leaders are searching for ways to prevent it from happening again.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Last week, ICE agents detained a mother and father during morning drop-off at a temporary learning space for Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School kids in far East Baltimore. The school is over 40% Hispanic and over a third of kids are learning English. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comICE agents detain parents dropping off kids outside Baltimore schoolICE agents detained two adults on public school property Thursday in a chaotic scene caught on video.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

The next day, ICE finally gave their account of events, saying Jesus Acevedo Sanchez "violently resisted arrest," drove away to avoid ICE and dragged an officer. The couple's lawyer says they were taking their kids to school when ICE hit them with two cars. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comICE vehicles hit Baltimore fatherā€™s car as he took his children to school, attorney saysICE says Jesus Acevedo Sanchez and his wife, who were detained while dropping off their children at a Baltimore school, face federal charges.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

We're doing everything we can to piece together what happened. But my incredible colleague @lesliegraystreeter.bsky.social captured why the detainment, in full view of students, was so jarring for her and her son, who attends CJR and asked for his passport www.thebanner.com/opinion/colu...

thebanner.comStreeter: ICE detained people outside my childā€™s school and forever changed himCOLUMN | My son called me panicked as ICE detained people outside his Baltimore City public school. Itā€™s forever changed him ā€” and me, too.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

The former Baltimore teacher of the year charged last month with sexual solicitation of a minor said he was just trying to warn the (fake) teen against dangerous relationships with older men. He also insisted he thought "Aiden" was 16 - the age of consent in MD. www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comFormer Baltimore teacher of the year confronted by Chris Hansen in YouTube stingFormer Baltimore teacher of the year Dennis Jutras told Chris Hansen he was trying to warn a teen in a Harford County sting operation targeting adults seeking sex with minors.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Baltimore lets any family with a 4-year-old apply for public pre-K. The school choice program prioritizes low-income kids, so not everyone can go where they want or where they live closest to. But it's always free. Here's how to get a spot: www.thebanner.com/education/ea...

thebanner.comWhat happens when your child doesnā€™t get into pre-K at your neighborhood school?Baltimore City Public Schools prioritizes the neediest kids first. Hereā€™s what else to know.

Maya Lora McKay reposted

Ellie Wolfe
@elliew0lfe.bsky.social

Morgan State University, Marylandā€™s largest historically Black college, is expanding its off-campus housing options after another year of record-breaking enrollment. The public research university has seen five straight years of enrollment growth. www.thebanner.com/education/hi...

thebanner.comMorgan State University adds housing for 300 students after record enrollmentMorgan State University signed an off-campus housing agreement and expanded another after five consecutive years of enrollment growth.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

How the show went on: Back in February, the Baltimoree School for the Arts shuttered for weeks after a pipe burst flooded parts of the 100-year-old building. The arts community helped get kids back on track, but things aren't quite back to normal just yet www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comBaltimore School for the Arts is still picking up the pieces after winter floodThe Mount Vernon arts community rallied around teachers and students who knew the show must go on.
Maya Lora McKay
@mayaklora.bsky.social

Dennis Jutras, who until recently worked with Baltimore City Public Schools students, was charged with sexual solicitation of a minor for allegedly trying to meet and hook up with an officer posing as a 15-year-old boy www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

thebanner.comFormer Baltimore teacher of the year charged with sexual solicitation of a minorDennis Jutras, a longtime City Schools employee, allegedly tried to meet up with an officer posing as a high schooler.