Back To Good Schools And Some Big News

Editor’s Note: This column appeared in the county executive’s weekly email newsletter on August 28. The column has been shortened to fit the available space.

Dear neighbor,

Over 85,000 kids returned this week to our Anne Arundel County Public Schools, entering new classes that offer new experiences. Half of the revenue that county government collects each year is spent in our school system. I, my staff, and the county council make hard decisions about what to fund in the Board of Education’s budget request, and we all hope for what Superintendent Mark Bedell calls a good return on investment.

The ribbon cutting last week to celebrate the $124 million restoration of Meade High School is a bricks-and-mortar return that will boost the morale of the Mustangs for many years to come, but yesterday Dr. Bedell called to share his excitement about something even better. Test scores at Meade, a school with students from military families, public housing, and the most diverse neighborhoods in our county, skyrocketed last year.

In fact, scores across our county were up in 10 of the 11 grade-band assessments in English language arts, math and science. While some of the assessment tools have changed, the overall picture is that we’ve finally returned to pre-pandemic performance, and the higher results for younger kids will likely show up with even more progress when they move up the grade levels.

Good education starts with good teachers. Our county’s teachers were among the lowest paid before I and four members of the county council made some hard decisions about revenue and spending seven years ago. We paid back step increases, grew starting salaries, and did everything that we could to deliver fair raises in each of our budgets. COVID took a toll on teacher retention, and in the post-COVID years, it was hard to hire for any position. But this year, it all paid off.

The school year started with 32 vacancies, and that number could well drop below 30 in the coming days. That means our vacancy rate is 0.5% while the national teacher vacancy rate is 12.5% (and teacher applications are also up). I’m told that we’re hiring only the best applicants. People want to teach in our schools again!

I’m not suggesting that all is roses in our schools. Much more can and should be done, starting with delivering the Blueprint’s recommendation to increase collaborative time, giving teachers the freedom to work with students individually and plan their lessons. But things are looking up.

Another success story is Anne Arundel County Public Libraries (AACPL). You’ll have to listen to my upcoming “Pittman and Friends” podcast episode with AACPL CEO Skip Auld to hear the full story of the progress they are making, especially for preschool children in a way that boosts our all-important kindergarten readiness. Parents love to bring their kids to activities at our Discoveries Library at the Annapolis Mall, and that’s why we’ve just expanded it. That ribbon cutting took place in August, and you should really stop by.