She stays where she is.
On Wednesday, the interim title was removed from Carrie Wright's name after the Maryland State Board of Education unanimously voted to install her as the permanent state superintendent of public schools. That will happen.
Wright was named interim superintendent on Oct. 23, replacing Mohamed Chaudhry, who resigned days earlier to become a senior adviser to the State Board of Education with a base salary of $310,000 until his contract expires on June 30. He took office.
Wright, a Maryland native, will receive a pro-rated salary of $350,000 for the remainder of his term, which ends June 30, and will take several positions during his six months leading the state school system, which has about 890,000 students. led the effort.
His term as the state's permanent leader begins on July 1 and ends on June 30, 2028, with an annual salary of $360,500.
Wright, who began her education career in September 1972 as a teacher in Prince George's County Public Schools, thanked the board for listening to all stakeholders to improve public education. He said one of his goals is to tilt it.
“We want all of our kids to be as successful as possible, and it’s our job to help them get there,” she said. “I am committed to making Maryland a destination for education.”
In December, the State Board of Education hired Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) of Illinois to help conduct the nationwide search. The firm, which has researched various school systems in Maryland, worked with the Board of Education's search committee to help recruit and vet qualified candidates.
As of the March 1 application deadline, nearly 40 people expressed interest and 26 “fully completed” applications.
The board announced that it would hold a special meeting on April 13, but the board rushed into session. On this day, the board interviewed the semi-finalists and narrowed it down to the final candidates.
On Wednesday, the board of directors voted to retain Wright.
“We searched all over the country, and you came to us as one of the nation's top leaders,” said Board Vice President Joshua Michael, who chairs the Board Search Committee. And after our thorough search, we found that out.” “You all have both your experience as Marylanders and your knowledge of Maryland's schools as well as the temperament, experience, and skill set to lead the reform and improvement of our public schools.”
Wright began working on statewide priorities, including incorporating reading science into all 24 school systems starting in the 2024-25 school year. The program, which Wright led during his tenure as Mississippi's state schools superintendent, focuses on teaching students sounds, comprehension and vocabulary based on phonics instruction.
Wright testified in Annapolis this year, pleading with lawmakers to fully fund public education and continue to support Maryland's blueprint for future education reform.
Maryland Public Schools Interim Superintendent Carrie Wright testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on January 24, 2024. Photo by William J. Ford.
The 10-year, multibillion-dollar Blueprint plan is being overseen by an Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) backed by Wright.
However, the Blueprint mandate continues to worry local school officials, who in the Blueprint document include hiring new teachers amid a professional shortage, increasing kindergarten to 3-year-old It outlines the challenges of expanding to children as young as 4 and incorporating college and career readiness. Incorporate the program into your curriculum.
Wright is also leading other education efforts, including sending teams of literacy experts to schools and announcing a statewide literacy plan later this year. Additionally, she developed strategies to increase math test scores and established a joint committee with representatives from the State Board of Higher Education and the University System of Maryland to evaluate educator programs.
In January, the state Department of Education released a leader profile report highlighting the agency's strengths and challenges. The report is based on 564 interviews and surveys with various state, regional and local agencies and organizations, parents and students.
Its strengths include advancing education reform, continued support for the Blueprint, and collaboration with state boards, department officials, staff, and other stakeholders, according to the report.
Challenges include ensuring a fair experience for all students, a challenge for the state superintendent to work collaboratively with both the state board of education and AIB, and getting some local school officials to “buy in” to the blueprint. These include challenges for state authorities seeking to encourage.
One of the challenges mentioned over and over again is how to improve relationships with faculty, local school systems, and the community.
“Transparency between the Superintendent of Police and all stakeholder groups was mentioned in interviews and focus groups as a key issue that developed under the previous administration,” the report said. “While there has been positive momentum in recent months, the challenge of continuing to provide transparent communication to rebuild trust with stakeholder groups is one that the new director will need to focus on. .”
When Wright arrived last fall, she was praised for her work in Mississippi and for being a native Marylander. She received her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park.
“Dr. Carrie Wright's distinguished career as an educator, administrator, and public education leader has prepared her for this moment as Maryland's state superintendent,” said Governor Wes Moore. Democratic Party) said in a statement. “She is a champion for students and I am confident she is the leader we need to deliver on our promise to build a world-class public education system in Maryland.”
Cherry Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association, said in a statement that she values her partnership with Wright during his tenure as interim superintendent.
“As superintendent, I will continue to give educators a voice in decisions that impact our schools, students, and important issues, including closing the educator shortage and implementing Maryland's Blueprint for the Future,” Bost said in a statement. I hope that they will prioritize ensuring that this is reflected.”
