PERRYVILLE, Md.—The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland announced on Thursday, November 1, that Calvert County Public Schools’ superintendent, Dr. Jack Smith, will represent Maryland as Public School Superintendent of the Year for 2013. The announcement was made at the annual Maryland Negotiating Service Awards Banquet held in Ocean City.
Superintendent Smith is currently serving in his seventh year as leader of the 16,352 student public school system. Eight years previous to this current assignment he served as a principal, director and deputy superintendent in Calvert County after serving as a principal for six years in Tokyo, Japan.
William Phalen, former President of the Calvert County Board of Education, in his nomination, cited Dr. Smith for his outstanding leadership ability demonstrated through his constant seeking of academic excellence for all students while operating within a collaborative environment with all constituent groups within and outside of the school system. Calvert County Public School students annually perform in the top quartile of Maryland school systems. In addition to his instructional leadership, Phalen specifically identified Dr. Smith’s ability to work effectively with the Board of Calvert County Commissioners in a difficult fiscal environment.
In his application for this award, Dr. Smith speaks to the use of student data to offer insights into the focus and improvements required to insure that classroom instruction and supports are in place to address all students’ learning needs. “Confronting the brutal facts,” as is emphasized by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great, is the message Smith recites to teachers and principals as they strive for continuous improvements in schools and classrooms throughout the school system.
Dr. Smith currently serves a member of the Governing Board for the American Association of School Administrators, graduated as a member of Leadership Maryland in 2011, and served as president of PSSAM in 2011-2012. He is a member of numerous professional organizations and has participated as an author of many articles and presentations. Earlier this month, he presented at the Maryland Association of Boards of Education on Teacher Evaluation: It’s Complicated on the state wide initiative to incorporate new teacher and principal evaluation models that use student achievement as a significant factor.
In his announcement of this honor, Executive Director of PSSAM, Dr. Carl Roberts, described Dr. Smith as “a consummate education leader who continuously has his eyes on the prize but realizes that it takes the whole village to achieve the goal that all students are prepared for success in this 21st Century.”
Dr. Lillian Lowery, State Superintendent of Schools, likewise acknowledged Dr. Smith’s leadership within Calvert County and across the state as “focused on what is good for children and refuses to be distracted by unimportant and inconsequential rhetoric.”
The twenty-three public school superintendents who serve as colleagues of Dr. Smith congratulate him on this peer selected honor and wish him the best as his name is submitted for national consideration this coming February 2013.
Source: Public School Superintendents' Association of Maryland