MSDE leadership outlines pay increases, UMD pilot and community‑based expansion for DORS

Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) leaders told the commission reviewing the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) that they have taken steps to stabilize staffing, accelerate screenings and expand community‑based service delivery.

Krishna Tulloor, deputy state superintendent for operations, summarized a classification and pay study that raised Vocational Rehabilitation counselors’ salaries "from a little over $42,000" toward the mid‑$50,000s; she said the state salary structure now stands at "little over $57,000." Tulloor said those compensation changes, plus hiring efforts and federal clearance work coordinated with the congressional delegation, helped reduce vacancies: where the division once recorded roughly 40 counselor and supervisory vacancies and about 59 claims‑examiner vacancies, the department reported far fewer open positions at the time of the meeting.

MSDE also has funded a two‑year pilot with the University of Maryland Center for Transitioning and Career Innovation (CTCI). The department provided an initial grant of $1,600,000 (it had budgeted $2,000,000) to test a fee‑for‑service screening model intended to speed eligibility and reduce the wait list; the university will provide temporary FTE support while studying cost and scaling requirements.

The department described multiple community‑based programming expansions: virtual career mentoring, a community college pathways program operating at four community colleges, virtual driver’s‑education classroom instruction paired with local behind‑the‑wheel partners, expanded apprenticeships, worksite assessments, low‑vision support groups, self‑advocacy groups and job clubs targeted at job‑ready participants. Scott (division leadership) noted the unit reopened Category 2 on the wait list for the first time since 2017.

What proponents said: "If this works," one presenter said of a proposed AI‑assisted screening pilot, "it would be a first‑in‑the‑nation approach" to reduce staff time on form processing and redirect staff toward service delivery. State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhary argued the department is making sustained operational changes: "Staffing levels are stabilizing...we're literally hitting 0 vacancies," he said, while acknowledging work remained.

What remains to be verified: presenters cited multiple numerical data points in slides and remarks (caseload counts, waitlist and backlog totals, vacancy numbers and exact salary figures); reporters and readers should confirm current figures with MSDE/DORS before publication.

Next steps: MSDE will monitor the pilot, continue recruitment and background clearance efforts, and report outcomes in future briefings or in DORS performance updates.