About Carroll Education Coalition
On the morning of February 11, 2025, a group of Carroll County mothers gathered around a kitchen table to discuss their concerns about what looked to be a disturbing budget proposal from Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS). The next day, their fears were confirmed when the school system proposed a budget that would cut 92 teacher and staff positions, move around another 90, not meet employee and bus contractor compensation commitments, and eliminate or reduce other programs.
The women quickly connected with other engaged mothers across the County, coalescing into a formal coalition to work against the cuts. Within ten days they had launched a website and Facebook page, testified before the Carroll County Board of Education and the Maryland General Assembly, spoken with the media, connected with legislators, advocates, and business people, and created shirts, buttons, and signs for community members to display to show their support.
With an organizational structure now in place, the Carroll Education Coalition is moving forward in its efforts to reach out to both the County (requesting a greater investment in CCPS) and the State (requesting flexibility in implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.)
We hope residents across Carroll County will join us in our advocacy, so that together we can achieve a budget and Blueprint implementation framework that will allow CCPS to avoid the most draconian staffing cuts and secure a quality education for all its students.
The Coalition is led by two women from that first kitchen-table meeting, who work in close cooperation with a growing group of dedicated Carroll County residents who each bring their own expertise, time, and passion to our (now much bigger) table.
Lisa Maisano
Julie Walsh
Lisa Maisano is a Maryland native who grew up in Anne Arundel County, where she attended local public schools. Pursuing her interest in science and technology, Lisa attended Virginia Tech, where she earned her degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2004.
Following her graduation, Lisa began her professional career working for the US Navy and the defense industry before transitioning to solar research, working to advance renewable energy technology.
Lisa and her husband moved to Carroll County in 2007 where they soon put down roots and started a family. Later, as a result of her volunteer work, Lisa identified her true passion for community engagement and educational leadership.
As a mother of three, Lisa has been deeply involved in her children’s activities and school community. Her dedication to education led her to serve as a PTA president for three years, where she worked tirelessly to enhance the educational experience for all students.
Beyond her PTA leadership, Lisa has been an active leader in Scouting, helping to shape young minds through outdoor education, skill development, and civic engagement.
Lisa’s commitment to youth development and community service has made a valuable impact on both her children and the broader school community, demonstrating the power of engaged parent leadership.
Lisa enjoys spending time outdoors and her new self-taught hobby of crocheting.
Julie earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science and German from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2001. After a few years working for the federal government, she spent six years as a full-time registered lobbyist in Annapolis, where she was an associate director of the Maryland Catholic Conference.
Since her eldest child was born in 2010, Julie has been a stay-at-home mother, focusing on her family, her community, and her writing.
She has served on the Board of Trustees of the Charles Carroll House in Annapolis and as president of her children’s preschool’s executive board. Julie currently serves as PTO president at her children’s elementary school and she is an active volunteer at her church, where she teaches Sunday school, sings in the choir, and serves on a welcoming committee.
Inspired by her farmer-politician grandfather, Julie has been interested in politics since she was a child. She grew up surrounded by it, she studied it, she worked in it, and she has written about it for years, especially in relation to questions of faith and morality.
Until the creation of the Carroll Education Coalition, Julie was never involved in advocacy related to educational policy or local Carroll County concerns. She’s learning on the go, applying her expertise in State-level advocacy to this new subject matter. She is engaged in this work because she wants to see the best possible educational opportunities and experiences for her children, and for all children in her community.
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