With the 2025-26 school year starting next week in some counties, Maryland’s two top education leaders had a message for local school officials: Follow state law.

The calm, but stern warning came Wednesday during a back-to-school news conference in Baltimore with State Superintendent Carey Wright and state Board of Education President Joshua Michael. Neither named specific school districts, but when reporters asked about administrative and policy changes related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Calvert and Somerset counties, they did not hesitate to answer.

“In Maryland we have a state public education system. Local school board leaders who lead local school systems are actually state officials,” Michael said. “They have authority within the state system that Dr. Wright lea

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