The Secretary of Education to the Honorable Mohammed Choudhury — Maryland (October 14, 2021)

Summary

A letter dated October 14, 2021 from the Secretary of Education to Mohammed Choudhury, Superintendent of Schools, of the Maryland Department of Education approving Maryland's American Rescue Plan ESSER State plan. It states that Maryland's plan is consistent with all ARP ESSER statutory and regulatory requirements and addresses all plan elements, and that the Department will release the remaining one-third of the State's allocation. The letter asks for URLs for data on mode of instruction and enrollment and for local plans for safe return to in-person instruction and use of funds.

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Issuer: Congressional materials
Document type: Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 7Ccef5740C
Case: Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 7Ccef5740C

Cite this document

“The Secretary of Education to the Honorable Mohammed Choudhury — Maryland (October 14, 2021).” Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-7ccef5740c/, SHA-256 664003c53beb2a2f69ec5945411831ab18ad4a80dd7795b5a6e0f048d7f7cd2c.

Full text

                                       THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
                                            WASHINGTON, DC 20202




                                            October 14, 2021


The Honorable Mohammed Choudhury
Superintendent of Schools
Maryland Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-2595

Dear Superintendent Choudhury:

I am pleased to approve Maryland’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) State plan. This plan, together with the unprecedented funding
available under ARP ESSER, will help ensure that districts and schools in your State can
continue to reopen safely; support sustained access to in-person instruction; and address the
social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of students due to the impact of the
coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), particularly those students most impacted by the pandemic.

Maryland’s plan is consistent with all ARP ESSER statutory and regulatory requirements and
addresses all of the ARP ESSER State plan elements. This letter, along with Maryland’s
approved ARP ESSER State plan, will be posted on the U.S. Department of Education’s
(Department’s) website, and the Department will immediately release the remaining one-third of
your State’s ARP ESSER allocation for your use.

As part of the ARP ESSER State plan, each State assured that it would provide the
Department the URLs for information related to ARP ESSER requirements. First, by June 21,
2021, each State was required to post publicly on its website, for the most recent time
period available, data on mode of instruction and enrollment for all students, disaggregated
by student subgroups. The State assured that it would provide to the Department the URL(s)
where the public can readily find this data. The Department will follow up separately with you
regarding this requirement, if necessary. Second, your State assured that it would provide to the
Department the URL(s) for the State educational agency (SEA) and/or local educational agency
(LEA) websites where the public can find the LEA plans for: (a) the safe return to in-person
instruction and continuity of services; and (b) use of ARP ESSER funds. Please submit the URL
or URLs to the Department via email to your State mailbox at Maryland.OESE@ed.gov.

Please be aware that approval of Maryland’s ARP ESSER State plan is not a determination that
all the information included in the State plan complies with Federal civil rights requirements,
including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities
Act, and requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is Maryland’s
responsibility to comply with these civil rights requirements.
Page 2 – The Honorable Mohammed Choudhury


The Department is committed to working in partnership with your State so that your ARP
ESSER funds are quickly put to work to ensure students have sustained access to in-person
instruction as well as the comprehensive supports they need to recover fully from the impacts of
the COVID-19 pandemic. As you implement this plan, we expect you to continue meaningfully
engaging with stakeholders and the public and revising your plan, as necessary, to best meet the
needs of students, parents, and educators. Ongoing engagement with all stakeholders is vital to
ensuring that implementation of your plan is transparent, effective, equitable, inclusive, and best
meets the needs of your State. The thoughtful, evidence-based, and timely use of ARP ESSER
funds will have a lasting impact on our Nation’s schools and help to address the inequities in
resources, services, and opportunities available to our students.


                                      Sincerely,

                                      /s/

                                      Miguel A. Cardona, Ed.D.

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Our copy: department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-7ccef5740c.pdf
Original: www.ed.gov