Teacher takes seat on Blueprint panel
A Prince George’s County eighth-grade math teacher has taken a seat on Maryland’s Accountability & Implementation Board, the oversight authority for the state’s ambitious education reform plan.
Justin Robinson on Thursday became the only active teacher on the seven-person board monitoring the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future reform plan. Gov. Wes Moore appointed Robinson on May 1 to fill the seat vacated by Fagan Harris, whom Moore chose as his administration’s chief of staff earlier this year.
Robinson is set to serve the remainder of the term, which ends June 30, 2024.
Robinson was sworn in Thursday and took his seat for his first meeting with the board later in the afternoon.
The educator has worked for 12 years in the Prince George’s County Public School system and is certified to teach secondary mathematics,socialstudies,English language arts and science, in addition to school administration and supervision. He earned National Board Certification in early adolescence mathematics in 2017, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Robinson also holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and a master’s in education from the University of Maryland, and he’s a doctoral candidate researching teacher attrition at the Johns Hopkins University.
“Justin is a leader and veteran educator who influences the lives of his students every day,” Moore said in the release. “He understands both Maryland’s education system and the responsibility that a quality educator has in supporting the success of children in Maryland.
“I look forward to his leadership on the board.”
Robinson also serves on the board of the Prince George’s County teachers union and is a member of the county’s Blueprint implementation committee and career ladder development team, according to the release.
“We must work together to lift up the next generation of leaders — and that starts in the classroom” Robinson said in the announcement. “I will bring my education expertise to the board and represent Maryland’s teachers, working tirelessly to improve quality and equity in Maryland’s education system.”
Robinson joins the board during Teacher Appreciation Week and at a time when tensions are brewing among the state’s top education leaders managing the expensive reform plan. The oversight board and Maryland State Board of Education exchanged barbs publicly this week after coordination broke down on a joint review of implementation plans for the state’s 24 school systems.