Baltimore school board wins leadership award
A national school board association has given the Baltimore school board its Progressive Leadership Award for policies to increase parent and community involvement. Baltimore's board received one of three honorable mentions awarded by the Council of Urban Boards of Education. The top award went to Atlanta. "Baltimore City truly has transformed itself around governance and policy-setting, and its hiring of a new CEO has resulted in improvements in academic performance and public support, which really is a major mark and should be heralded," said CUBE director Katrina Kelley in a news release. "Baltimore may not be all the way there, but there has been a major turnaround, particularly in the area of parent involvement. The judges felt it was important to recognize districts that are making significant progress as they're going along."
- Liz Bowie
University of Maryland wins 'greenest' campus award
The University of Maryland, College Park is "America's Greenest Campus," according to a pair of environmental organizations that ran a contest this year urging students to reduce their carbon footprints. The university bested 460 competing institutions by enlisting 2,257 participants, the most of any school in the contest. The students reduced vehicle usage and conserved water and electricity. The environmental organizations, SmartPower and Climate Culture, will award College Park $5,000 to help with green initiatives on campus. Student organizers said they will use the money to create a program to teach their peers about sustainable living. Gov. Martin O'Malley congratulated the campus. "The University of Maryland students have made us all proud, and we owe them thanks not only for reducing their carbon emission and also for inspiring others," he said in a statement.
- Childs Walker
State could get $70 million from U.S. for water projects
Maryland would receive more than $70 million for water projects under a 2010 spending measure that President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law as early as next week. Included is $53 million related to the Port of Baltimore for Army Corps of Engineers dredging of the Baltimore harbor and shipping channels and for operating the C&D Canal that links the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River. Also included is $2 million for Chesapeake Bay oyster recovery, $4 million for projects around Ocean City and Assateague Island, $8 million for the Poplar Island restoration project and $314,000 to study the use of dredged material from Baltimore shipping channels for restoring the Dorchester County shoreline.
Paul West
