Our Mission Statement

We are a passionate and determined group of Carroll County residents committed to ensuring Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) has sufficient funds and staffing to carry out their mission of educating our children.

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 the following three 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 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 Walsh, who grew up in Harford County, has been a Carroll County resident since 2012. She lives with her husband and five children in a 165-year-old home that keeps her family almost as busy as the kids’ schedules do. Her family is active in their community: in Scouts, in the kids’ schools, and in their parish. Her children, who range in age from 7 to 14, attend four Carroll County Public Schools.

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.

Amy Hardesty moved to Carroll County in 1991 and is a proud graduate of Westminster High School. She earned her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certification from Carroll County Career and Technical School in 1995, and furthered her education at Carroll Community College. Amy went on to earn her Bachelor’s in Nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, which solidified her dedication to helping those in need.

Throughout her career, Amy gained experience in various healthcare settings, including intensive care, workers compensation, and community case management, where she worked with individuals facing poverty, complex medical issues, substance abuse, and mental health challenges. Her work in these areas strengthened her passion for supporting vulnerable populations and ensuring everyone has access to necessary resources.

As a stay-at-home mother with a child in Carroll County Public Schools, Amy is deeply invested in advocating for education and community improvement. She worked with her child’s elementary school PTA to establish an advocacy committee, which led to her involvement in Blueprint implementation issues. After three years of dedicated advocacy, Amy helped establish the Carroll Education Coalition to improve educational opportunities in the county.

Beyond her professional and advocacy work, Amy values family and home life above all. She and her family built a multigenerational home together, creating a supportive and nurturing environment for their entire family. This decision was motivated by a desire to build a lasting, stable foundation for her family’s future. Amy is committed to ensuring that developments in the County support the value of her family’s investment, as her home represents both her family's well-being and long-term vision for the future.

In her spare time, Amy enjoys gardening and has a special passion for reintroducing native plants to her property. She is also dedicated to preserving the local environment and contributing to a more sustainable community.