Bill > HB479

This bill establishes the Southern Maryland Early College Teacher Pathway Program, which aims to create a structured, credit-bearing path for high school students to begin preparing for careers in education, making higher education more accessible and affordable, particularly for students from rural areas or those historically underrepresented in higher education, with the goal of building a diverse teacher pipeline and serving as a statewide model. The program's development and recommendations will be handled by a newly established Southern Maryland Early College Teacher Pathway Program Workgroup, comprised of representatives from various state and local government offices, educational institutions, and teacher associations, and the University System of Maryland will lead this development in consultation with the State Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The bill also allocates funding for the development of these recommendations and specifies that the program will be in effect for four years, expiring on June 30, 2030.