State hiring new superintendent for juvenile facilities

ANNAPOLIS (Oct. 05, 2021)—A new superintendent is being hired to help manage Maryland's schools for troubled youth, starting in January.

The Juvenile Services Education Program, which Gov. Larry Hogan, R, signed into law in July, has started the scouting process for a new superintendent, who will be in charge of managing the education of all children in the state's juvenile treatment facilities.

"Hiring a Superintendent is one of the most important jobs placed upon the (Juvenile Service Education Program) board" Grace Reusing, chair of the board, said in a Sept. 27 press release.

In the same release, Reusing added, "we are in the process of a rigorous national search and plan to have the new superintendent in place by January 2022."

Reusing told Capital News Service that the superintendent will address issues involving teacher pay and retention. Although whoever fills the position will not have the power to raise wages, they will be able to propose these changes to the Legislature.

One of the biggest challenges the facilities are having, according to Reusing, is keeping teachers employed. She said this is due to the fact that they aren't getting paid as much as they would in a community school and they are working all year round.

Likewise, students are transferring in and out of the facilities all year. Reusing said the new superintendent will help implement a more career-driven curriculum for students, who currently receive six hours of education a day.

Currently, the Juvenile Services Education Program's schools teach about 3,500 15- to 18-year-old students per year. The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services runs 12 detention and residential treatment centers across the state and a school operates on each campus.

The job description, posted on the state of Maryland's job openings website, states that "the Superintendent of JSEP will champion equitable, high quality, holistic and individualized education for a unique student population, identify metrics and communicate high expectations for JSEP, and drive related transformation efforts."

According to the press release announcing the start of recruitment, the job will be open for applications until the end of October.