In a move that was not surprising, Carey Wright, who had been Maryland's interim State Superintendent of Schools was voted to the post of Superintendent permanently on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Her contract will serve from July 1 until June 30, 2028. Wright replaced embattled Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury who resigned his post last fall to become a "senior advisor" for the state. His official contract ends June 30 of this year. He continues to be paid his base salary until then.
Wright started her career in Prince George's County in 1972. She was the Superintendent of Schools in Mississippi prior to returning to Maryland. During her time in Mississippi, she directed what was called the "Mississippi Miracle." The "miracle" was lifting Mississippi out of the bottom of state school systems nationally to a ranking in the middle. Many claim that the "miracle" was not a miracle at all since certain students in the State were kept out of testing statistics. Some of the concerns over her resume are spelled out here:
Wright projects an image of a sweet, grandmotherly individual, but her actions portray otherwise. Last winter, she mandated that all school systems implement the Science of Reading approach to teaching.
While many claim the Science of Reading to be successful, such a mandate precludes districts from using programs that are successful in their district and flies in the face of local control.
The appointment to Wright was permanent Superintendent was not a surprise. Governor Wes Moore stated " She is a champion for students, and I'm confident that she is leader we need to fulfill the promise of creating a world-class public education system for Maryland."
Cheryl Bost, head of the Maryland State Education Association, said, " As superintendent, we hope that she will prioritize ensuring that educator voices are at the table in helping to make decisions that impact our school, students, and critical issues like ending the educator shortage and implement the Blueprint for Maryland's Future."
The 10 year, multi-billion-dollar Blueprint plan is overseen by the Accountability and Implementation Board which Wright supports. However, local districts are crying for help with installing the Blueprint as it is not only a huge burden on local taxpayers, but on school systems as well as they scramble to implement all the mandates. Many can't find the staffing or facilities to support Blueprint initiatives. They also decry the fact that it removes the schools from the control of locally elected school boards and puts them in the hands of unelected bureaucrats.
Wright is fully on board with the Blueprint. However, in her acceptance of her contract, she promised to "listen to all stakeholders to improve public education." Time will tell.
As a friend of this publication put it when Wright was installed last fall:
"What a whitewash. Lather, rinse, repeat!"
Jan Greenhawk, Author
April 25, 2024
Jan Greenhawk is a former teacher and school administrator for over thirty years. She has two grown children and lives with her husband in Maryland. She also spent over twenty-five years coaching/judging gymnastics and coaching women’s softball.
This article was originally featured on the Easton Gazette.
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