Jessica Calefati
student success reporter
Jessica Calefati is an education investigative reporter at The Baltimore Banner. She covers the Anne Arundel County schools and Maryland’s child welfare system. She helped expose the secret history of sexual abuse at a Baltimore evangelical church. That series won a Dart Awards for coverage of trauma and a Wilbur Award for coverage of religion. Her work has also been recognized by the Goldsmith Awards, the Collier Awards, the Gerald Loeb Awards and the National Headliner Awards. Previously, she covered education for Politico and worked for regional news organizations in Pennsylvania, California and New Jersey.
The latest from Jessica
Anne Arundel’s Mark Bedell named Maryland Superintendent of the Year
The award is presented annually by the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland following a vote by superintendents serving children across the state.
Anne Arundel County school ratings hold steady. Here are the highlights.
Three out of four Anne Arundel County schools saw no change in their star ratings this year, mirroring standardized test results that were also largely flat.
Trump DOJ sues Anne Arundel school board over gender identity policy as midterms near
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division on Tuesday sued Anne Arundel County’s Board of Education, claiming the district secretly allowed students to change their genders without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
14-year-old riding e-moto dies after collision with truck at B&A Trail crossing
A 14-year-old boy died after the e-moto he was operating on the B&A Trail in Anne Arundel County struck a pickup truck at a crossing.
Anne Arundel parents, teachers urge school board to restrict AI in classrooms
“Why are we rushing to embrace AI blindly?” one parent asked.
Mother of foster teen who died in hotel sues Gov. Wes Moore, Marriott chain
“Every institution with a hand in Kanaiyah’s care knew what she needed, and every one of them failed her,” the complaint alleges.
Police investigate discharge of pepper spray at Crofton High School dance
Anne Arundel County schools officials said they have identified the student who discharged pepper spray at a dance at Crofton High School over the weekend.
Maryland’s teacher shortage shrinks as vacancies hit post-pandemic lows
The number of open teaching jobs at Maryland schools fell from a high of 2,145 in 2022 to just under 600 today, state officials announced Monday.
Former Catonsville priest found guilty of sexually abusing former altar server
Confusion about the dates of the alleged abuse persisted throughout the four-day trial.
A former Catholic priest helped report a notorious abuser. Now he’s the one on trial.
William Mannion Jr., who left the priesthood and later married, has been charged with multiple felony child abuse and sex offenses from his time at Baltimore County’s St. Agnes Church. He maintains his innocence.
Anne Arundel parents get another chance to challenge school redistricting
Mark Crooks, a county circuit court judge, said it “borderline shocks the conscience” that the Maryland State Board of Education tossed the parents’ case months ago.
Anne Arundel couple fund $40,000 scholarship for Glen Burnie High graduates
Lawyer and lobbyist Bryson Popham and social worker Carol Popham donated $500,000 to create the scholarship fund, and the college matched it.
Anne Arundel schools now need parent permission to call transgender students by preferred names
This reverses prior guidance that didn’t require parental agreement.
Maryland delays a key part of the plan to fix math test scores
The directive is one piece of a sweeping math policy Maryland adopted last year.
Anne Arundel schools updates gender identity regulation following Trump administration threats
The years-old policy became the focus of intense scrutiny last month after parents of an area high school student filed a federal lawsuit alleging teachers and staff lied about and hid their child’s gender transition.
When school closes in Anne Arundel, these day-off camps open their doors
This guide highlights some providers that have previously offered one-day “school’s out” camps to families in the county.
Judge dismisses case against former Greater Grace pastor accused of child sexual abuse
Eric Anderson, 81, who once led the Baltimore megachurch’s Bible college, was facing two counts of indecent assault and battery of a child for misconduct that allegedly happened nearly 50 years ago.
Anne Arundel schools’ latest test scores are flat, like much of Maryland’s
This year’s MCAP scores mostly sustain post-pandemic growth, though other districts have recovered faster.
Advocates for trans students urge Maryland to fight Trump administration threats
The testimony comes one day after the U.S. Education and Justice departments alleged that Anne Arundel County’s school system violated federal student privacy law by withholding a student’s gender identity from their parents.
Trump administration threatens Anne Arundel schools over gender identity policy
The U.S. Education and Justice departments together determined Anne Arundel County’s school system violated federal student privacy law by withholding information about a student’s gender identity from the student’s parents.
