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Maya Lora

Maya

Maya Lora is an early childhood education reporter who covers how Maryland can best support young children and their families, from pregnancy through kindergarten, a critical stage in brain development. She previously covered diversity, equity and inclusion for The Baltimore Sun. Originally from Miami, she moved to Baltimore from the Lakeland Ledger, where she spent two years covering growth and development and Polk County government. She spent her early years interning at The Hill in Washington, D.C. and the Miami Herald while getting her bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University, with majors in journalism and English.

Latest content by Maya Lora

The exterior of Creative City Public Charter School on Shirley Ave. in Northwest Baltimore, Md. on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
2 Baltimore charter schools make their case to stay open
Creative City and Southwest Baltimore charter school were recommended for closure at the end of the school year.
Yorkwood Elementary is one of two city schools that improved their ratings from 1 star to 3 stars.
Baltimore City schools improved again. Here’s how they performed, by the numbers.
More schools earned at least a 3-star rating, up significantly from last year.
Although cursive started to disappear from classrooms years ago, educators say there are good reasons to keep teaching it, even in the digital age.
Is cursive dead in Maryland? Not quite
Although cursive started to disappear from classrooms years ago, educators say there are good reasons to keep teaching it, even in the digital age.
Although cursive started to disappear from classrooms years ago, educators say there are good reasons to keep teaching it, even in the digital age.
Is cursive dead in Maryland? Not quite (cursive)
Although cursive started to disappear from classrooms years ago, educators say there are good reasons to keep teaching it, even in the digital age.
At a community meeting to discuss a potential school closure, Edgewood Elementary parents and grandparents questioned why their small school may be shuttered despite their students performing well.
Parents are ready to defend Baltimore’s smallest elementary school from closure
Edgewood Elementary’s small size has landed it on the chopping block despite students performing relatively well on state testing.
A group of people sit in high-backed chairs behind a curved desk. A man is in front of them sitting at a table and speaking into a microphone.
3 Baltimore schools, including 2 charters, recommended for closure
Community members can sound off at two public meetings ahead of a Jan. 14 vote on the closure recommendations.
Despite the continuously rising costs of child care, day care and pre-K teachers receive some of the lowest salaries nationwide.
Just how underpaid are Maryland’s day care and pre-K teachers?
Over a third of Maryland’s early educator families rely on public assistance.
Berol Dewdney, center, speaks with Joshua, a pre-kindergarten student in her class at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary School on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Baltimore, MD.
Maryland wants to expand its pre-K options. Here’s how to pick the best one.
Maryland is dead-set on getting more kids in pre-K — specifically in programs with highly skilled teachers and age-appropriate academic standards.
Carey Wright, the State Superintendent of Schools, pushed for a literacy policy similar to one she put in place in Mississippi, where reading test scores rose dramatically.
Maryland has a new plan to get kids reading by third grade. Here’s what to know
The state’s hotly debated literacy policy calls for holding struggling readers back, with some exceptions.
Georetta Alexander teaches 2-year-olds at The Goddard School of Owings Mills. The bonuses she earned by getting extra training were a “safety net” for her.
Your day care teacher won’t get paid for training this year. It may cost you.
Teachers are suddenly without the extra income they’ve come to rely on. Their employers are scrambling to cover the difference, with tuition hikes on the table.
I’ve been to 150 haunted houses. Here are 5 that gave me chills near Baltimore.
Your 2024 guide to the haunted houses near Baltimore worth the trip and money.
Students gather at McKeldin Mall on the University of Maryland campus on Monday, October 7, 2024, for an interfaith vigil organized by Students for Justice in Palestine.
Hundreds gather peacefully for controversial University of Maryland Gaza vigil
The controversial event hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine was ultimately a peaceful one, despite the contentious road to get here.
Commodore John Rodgers Elementary School is among the Baltimore schools that offer pre-kindergarten.
How fast can Maryland expand pre-K? The numbers show what’s slowing it down
Here’s where Maryland pre-kindergarten stands, by the numbers.
Students at St. Joseph School Cockeysville celebrated their Blue Ribbon win with cheers, signs and confetti.
5 Baltimore Catholic schools among the best in the US, education department says
The Archdiocese of Baltimore schools were among 40 nonpublic schools recognized this year.
Cari Sullivan decided to pull her son from kindergarten six weeks in and re-enroll him in pre-K. She doesn't regret it.
Too soon for kindergarten? A guide for families considering redshirting
Parents in the Baltimore area encourage each other to consider “red shirting,” or delaying kindergarten for one year. Here’s how it works.

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