Interim Superintendent Presents the State of the Schools

September 15th, 2017

Interim Superintendent Michael J. Martirano presented the State of the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) at a meeting of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, September 14, 2017. He also made the presentation at the Board of Education meeting on September 11, 2017.

Martirano discussed the Strategic Call to Action he has issued to guide the work of the school system: Learning and Leading with Equity: The Fierce Urgency of Now. The vision, built on equity, is fueled by the belief that every student possesses the skills, knowledge and confidence to lead a successful life and positively influence the larger community. He provided an overview of school system progress and challenges and shared his priorities.

Click the picture below for a full album of event photos.

With an $819 million operating budget and the largest workforce in the county, the school system is a major economic force for the community, Martirano noted, driving $1.85 billion in local business sales and supporting nearly 13,000 county jobs. “Education is truly economic development, because we are preparing the next generation of our workforce. Education is economic development at its basic essence,” he said. “Our children are counting on every member of our community to give them the best start in life.”

Martirano encouraged the business community to collaborate with the school system in ensuring all students are college and career ready. He provided details on several initiatives underway with government and business leaders and other stakeholders to improve graduation outcomes and prepare students for lifelong success. These include building upon the success of dual high school-college enrollment programs, offered in partnership with Howard Community College, and building a new middle and high school career
development center.

He also shared successes in increasing staff diversity, noting an increase in the diversity of new hires from 28 to 32 percent over the previous year; a forensic audit and other initiatives for improving transparency and efficiency; and progress in establishing collaborative relationships with all stakeholders.

Read the full text of Dr. Martirano’s prepared remarks.