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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.

The latest from Maya Lora

Iced sidewalks, no buses: How Maryland School for the Blind finally reopened
Reopening was complex for the Maryland School for the Blind in Northeast Baltimore, where over 200 students with visual disabilities, some of whom use wheelchairs or canes to get around, go to school.
To make the 96-acre campus safe, facilities staff at the Maryland School for the Blind had to clear thousands of feet of sidewalk, a four-day task that only got harder as fluffy snow quickly turned into sheets of ice.
Most Baltimore County teachers are ready to teach science of reading. What about your district?
The phonics-forward method backed by brain science is what education leaders hope will bring Maryland back to its heyday.
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 5, 2024: School books at a classroom in KIPP Harmony Academy are seen on December 5, 2024.
This Maryland program opened nearly 300 day cares in 3 years
Maryland’s Growing Opportunities for Family Child Care program is expanding in-home day care, adding thousands of affordable child care slots statewide.
Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 —  Teacher Aurikshauna Ratliff, owner of The Start of Excellence Childcare, smiles as Sapphire Beatty, 2,  picks out the red heart during a lesson in shapes and colors.
After years of struggles, Baltimore’s only all-boys public school to close
The Baltimore City school board voted Wednesday to close its only all-boys public school, Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, while putting off decisions on two other proposed school closures.
The Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys met its demise at the end of a nearly five-hour public meeting on Monday.
This Christian school wants to catch neurodivergent students falling through the cracks
SOLL Academy aims to educate all kids in one place, regardless of their learning differences. It’ll be a financial headache.
Allison Schweigman, founder of Seeds of Love and Learning Academy, stands in front of the building that will house her school when it opens this year.
Everything you need to know about getting your child vaccinated in Maryland
Access and affordability are virtually unchanged.
Reva Bounan, RN administers a vaccine injection to Ryan Lewis (11) during a Vaccine Clinic offered at BCPS Fest held at New Town High School on August 16th, 2025 in Owings Mills, MD.
Homeschooling has exploded in Maryland since the pandemic
A by-the-numbers look at the increase in Maryland homeschooling since COVID-19 that seems here to stay.
Megan Dombi-Leis, left, goes over math problems with her daughter Enzlie, 7, as her daughter Della, 11, works on her own school project at Kaleidoscope Workshop in Edgewater.
South Baltimore parents will get $1,500 to support their newborns
The program is primarily funded by the organization behind the Baltimore Baby Bonus.
Cherry Hill Baby Bonus leaders expect 150 babies to be born to neighborhood residents in 2026, bringing the cost of the program to $225,000.
Freezing rain could make roads treacherous as temperatures drop in Baltimore region
Freezing rain and sleet are expected to hit the Baltimore region between 12 and 2 p.m., a spokesperson for the Maryland State Highway Administration said.
Traffic travels on the outer loop of I-695 at Falls Road as rain falls on the region.
Boys’ Latin to open rare all-boys pre-K in 2026
Single-sex education is often not available at the youngest grades.
The Boys' Latin School of Maryland will launch a pre-K program in fall 2026. The all-boys school is adding 4-year-olds to its lineup after over 180 years.
Break out your scarves: High winds move into Baltimore Friday
Temperatures are fluctuating a lot, but they’ll generally be warmer this weekend than they were in the cold first half of December.
While it’s been frigid lately, this weekend will see a return to average temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.
Maryland is keeping more foster kids with family, but there’s still a long way to go
Research shows that foster kids adjust better and are more likely to be reunited with the parents when they stay under the care of loved ones.
Faith Staubs moved to Washington County in October 2024 and was caring for Skyler full-time before Christmas. She said the once quiet boy has blossomed since being home with family.
Baltimore’s only all-boys charter school wants a chance to turn things around. Again.
Baltimore Collegiate was the only charter school recommended for closure this year, with public school officials citing academic and financial concerns.
Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys at 2525 Kirk Ave.
Maryland tries to settle decades of fighting over funding its charter schools
The Maryland state school board will vote Tuesday on a regulation they hope will bring peace between warring factions.
The school hallway showing classrooms decorated with university themes in KIPP Harmony Academy is seen on December 5, 2024.
Baltimore toy store Shananigans runs on nostalgia and generations of friendship
New owners, same wrapping paper: These Roland Park besties are keeping Shananigans Toy Shop open for the next generation.
In March, Beth Foxwell, left, and Anne Bev Fuller became the third set of owners of Shananigans Toy Shop in North Baltimore’s Wyndhurst Station.
How a West Baltimore charter school’s 30-year legacy collapsed in months
In January, New Song Academy was given three years to right its financial wrongs. It folded in November.
Lamar Richards addresses the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners during the public comment period of the board meeting on Tuesday. Community members voiced concerns over the closure of New Song Academy.
Can high schoolers solve Maryland’s child care shortage?
Attracting kids to the field early could help boost the state’s workforce.
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 — Christo Rey Jesuit High School sophomores Nayeli Galvez-Hernandez, left, and Amari Cheeks work with Ariyin Reed, 2, and Kross Usher, 2, in Imani Sims’ Pre-K 2 class at The Loyola School.
Speech therapists are stressed and short-staffed. Enter generative AI.
Speech language pathologists are mostly wary of being replaced by AI while still being drawn in by the chance to cut down on workloads.
Too many kids skip pre-K. Baltimore hopes $500,000 will change that.
Vacant Baltimore City properties could soon be repurposed for child care.
At a press conference at Arundel Elementary School in Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott said the city will be putting $500,000 in the hands of the Fund for Educational Excellence to eventually get more city kids into high-quality preschool programs. Right now, about 1,000 Baltimore kids enter kindergarten with no prior classroom experience, Scott said.
West Baltimore will lose a beloved school that couldn’t make ends meet for years
New Song Academy has been called a pillar of its Sandtown-Winchester community.
New Song Community Learning Center in Baltimore.
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