Annual Maryland Association of Boards of Education kicks of conference in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, Md. – As Maryland gets ready to strengthen safety for students, Board of Education members across the state are meeting in Ocean City connecting and sharing ideas on how to provide a better and more safe environment for students. Wednesday marked the first day of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education conference where board members discussed a variety of issues and topics they’re seeing in schools. Main topics included different ways to enhance safety and to advocate for each and every student.

“Students have to feel safe appropriately and to learn optimally they have to be safe because we’re responsible for their well being at the school, so we’ve gathered members together around that issue and it could range anywhere from getting to know students, you form personal relationships with them so you can mitigate issues ahead of time,” said conference co-chair Joy Schaefer.

Discussions at the conference also include ways to launch a program or improve existing for school based mental health services. Officials say it’s extremely important for the the school administration and health department to have a partnership to help improve the learning environment in classrooms and decrease disciplinary actions and drop out rates.

“When you have students who are going through something or have been through something it affects the way they are able to learn and really our goal is to optimize student learning and to make sure they are in a good frame of mind to learn and so we have to make sure their mental health and their physical health is addressed,” said Schaefer.

Now if you missed out on the first day of the conference you still have time. Meetings and workshops will continue on both Thursday and Friday starting at 9 am at the Clarion Resort Hotel.