About the Advisory Board
The Maryland Safe to Learn Act of 2018 (Senate Bill 1265) was signed into law by Governor Hogan on April 10, 2018, and it significantly altered and expanded the role of the Maryland Center for School Safety. The legislation established the School Safety Subcabinet, and School Safety Advisory Board. The Subcabinet serves as the regulatory authority and as the governing board of the Center, and its members are identified in statute. The Advisory Board serves as counsel to the Subcabinet.
The Advisory Board serves as counsel to the Subcabinet, and is chaired by Dr. Michael Martirano, Superintendent, Howard County Public Schools. The Governor selects the Chair from current Advisory Board membership. The Advisory Board represents a number of agencies and stakeholder groups, and they are as follows:
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Katherine Klausmeier, Maryland State Senate
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Eric Ebersole, Maryland House of Delegates
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Karin Bailey, Maryland Association of Boards of Education
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Dr. Kellie Anderson, School Psychologist
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Pamela Gaddy, Maryland State Education Association
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James T. Bell, Parent of a Public School Student
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Lourdes Padilla, Secretary, Department of Human Services
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Sam Abed, Secretary, Department of Juvenile Service
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Sheriff Matthew Crisafulli, Maryland Sheriffs’ Association
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Chief Paul Kifer, Maryland Chief's of Police Association
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Laurel Moody, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems
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David Engel, Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center
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Claire Cabral, Maryland Association of Student Councils
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Dr. Sharon A. Hoover, Center for School Mental Health
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Megan Berger, Disability Rights Maryland
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Captain Patrick D. Herring, Parent of a Child with Disabilities
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Thomas E. Alban, Representative of a Non-Public School
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Manfred Reek, Representative of School Bus Drivers
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Lee-Nadine Oppenheim, Non-Public Special Education Facility
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Scott Tiffin, Maryland Association of School-Based Health
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Detective Lawrence E. Smith, Balt. City School Police, MD Association of SROs
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Michael Brown, Representative of School Principals
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Dr. Tia McKinnon, Special Education Representative
Meeting Agenda and Minutes 2021
Meeting Agenda and Minutes 2020
A member of the public is invited to attend and observe any open meeting session but may not participate in the session unless the meeting agenda specifically includes a section for public testimony or comment.
Please be advised that some Advisory Board minutes and footage may move into a closed session, if needed, pursuant to Maryland Code, § 3- 305 of the General Provisions Article.
View archived Advisory Board meeting agendas, minutes, and documentation prior to the 2019-2020 school year.
MCSS Student Focus Group
The Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS) Student Focus Group was created to ensure that Maryland youth are given the opportunity to provide feedback and recommendations regarding school safety issues that are pertinent to them. Members must be in Middle School or High School. They must serve a six month term and, during that period, attend at least 75% of all monthly meetings in order to be considered for reappointment.
Mission:
As a group of diverse students from across the state, the members of the MCSS Student Focus Group address pertinent school safety issues by:
● Representing the perspective of their region by closely interacting with the student member of the Advisory Board to the Subcabinet of the Maryland Center for School Safety
● Helping to devise marketing tactics for and provide feedback on existing MCSS initiatives
● Surveying their county's/city's students on topics deemed by MCSS to shape future initiatives
● Acting as a pilot group for implementing new ideas
2022-2023 School Safety Student Focus Group Members
Jolie Boiadjieva-Carroll
Zena Brantuo-Baltimore
Claire Cabral-Baltimore
Emelia Crown-Baltimore
Brendon Dunne-Worcester
William Gao-Howard
Abigail Giroux-Baltimore City
Jordan Hayes-Calvert
Madeline Holmes-Cecil
Cheyanne Jester-Queen Anne's
Sophie Kang-Howard
Naomi Kilpatrick-Charles
Jaya Kinley-Baltimore
Jenae Lewis-Charles
Glenn Leynes-Harford
Mikayla Lighty-Carroll
Murdock McCormick III-Charles
Peyton McDonald-Allegany
Henry Meiser-St. Mary's
Krystina Moran-Carroll
Jordan Mueller-Anne Arundel
Marilyn Owusu-Anne Arundel
Grace Robusto-St. Mary's
Samantha Ross-Montgomery
Tyler Sears-Dorchester
Aryan Sharma-Howard
Praneel Singh-Carroll
Daniya Singletary-Baltimore
Kendall Tharp-St. Mary's
Anna Tritschler-St. Mary's
Pranshu Tyagi-Montgomery
Schuyler Ward-Anne Arundel
Elijah Wells-Anne Arundel
Hailey Wildesen-Garrett
2022-2023 Student Focus Group Applications
Interested in joining the Student Focus Group in 2023?
Click here.