Carey Wright will become Maryland’s interim superintendent of public schools after the state Board of Education’s unanimous vote during an online session Wednesday.
The Maryland State Board of Education voted unanimously for Carey Wright to become the state’s interim superintendent of schools. (Courtesy Mississippi Department of Education)
This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.
Carey Wright will become Maryland’s interim superintendent of public schools after the state Board of Education’s unanimous vote during an online session Wednesday.
Wright is expected to start her new gig Oct. 23 to oversee a public school system with nearly 890,000 students and becoming the leading advocate for the 10-year Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan.
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Wright stepped down last week as a four-year member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which helps set policies for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card.
While serving on the governing board, she worked as state superintendent of education in Mississippi from 2013 until she retired last year.
Wright served the longest tenure at that position since the state board was created in 1982.
Maryland school board President Clarence Crawford said in a brief interview that one of Wright’s strengths is her work in literacy reform in Mississippi. During her tenure in the state, she’s credited with increasing the state’s graduation rate from 75.5% to 88.4%.
“She’s also known as a consensus builder. She went to Mississippi not knowing anyone going down there, but somehow was able to develop relationships with a largely Republican legislature and governor,” Crawford said. “We’re very fortunate to have her.”
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Before Wright takes over, Sylvia Lawson, deputy state superintendent for organizational services, will serve as acting superintendent beginning this upcoming weekend.
That’s because Mohammed Choudhury will resign Friday as the state’s current public schools leader and the next day become senior adviser for the state school board.
Choudhury will provide education guidance, advice and strategies on state priorities such as the education reform plan.
As part of an agreement between Choudhury and the school board, he will continue to receive his base salary of $310,000 on a current contract that expires June 30. He will also have the option to work remotely or at the department’s office in Baltimore.
Wright’s term as interim superintendent will also end in June.
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After the board’s vote, Wright joined the Zoom session and gave brief remarks such as working with the board, department staff, state and local leaders, teachers, students and families.
“We’ve got a grand opportunity here to ensure strong equitable outcomes for all of our students. I just want you to know I intend to take advantage of that opportunity to make sure that this actually comes to happen,” Wright said. “Thank you, again, for your support. It is very much appreciated. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you much better.”
Crawford said a national search for a permanent leader will continue. He will lead a transition joint committee comprised of some board members and department leadership.
Board Vice President Joshua Michael will lead a search committee with other board members. That group will work to search for a firm to help recruit a permanent leader to begin a new four-year term starting July 1.
Meanwhile, Wright has roots in Maryland, obtaining her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Maryland in College Park. She started her teaching career in the 1970s at Prince George’s County Public Schools.
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According to Wright’s LinkedIn profile, she spent more than 26 years in Howard County public schools as a teacher, principal and director of special education and student services.
In May 2003, when she left Howard County, she headed south to Montgomery County for about six years to work as an associate superintendent at the school system’s Office of Special Education and Student Services.
Between August 2009 to May 2013, she worked as a chief academic officer and then a deputy chief for D.C. public schools.
She then worked in Mississippi from November 2013 until she retired in June 2022.
Wright also manages her own company called The Wright Approach Consulting. Her LinkedIn page describes her work as including leadership development and training, special education compliance and professional development for administrators and teachers.
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Cheryl Bost, president of the state’s Education Association, released a statement on Wright’s selection.
“We look forward to meeting with and learning more about Dr. Wright and her plans as interim superintendent,” she said. “To be successful in Maryland, Dr. Wright will need to have an open door for educators, support the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future with a focus on equity, and ensure that schools are welcoming and safe places for all of our students, no matter who they are or where they’re from.”
This breaking news story was updated with additional comments at 9:30 p.m.
This article was written by WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters and republished with permission. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.
The Michigan State Spartans under head coach Jonathan Smith are 2-0 thanks to a road win against a tough Maryland team, 27-24.
Resilience might be the word to describe this squad so far. The Spartans made some big blunders against the Terrapins and still found a way to battle back. The gritty performance might have been enough to get the Spartans into a bowl game.
Here are three takeaways from the Spartans’ win.
Aidan Chiles: Very Young, Very Talented
Chiles looked vastly improved from the home opener against Florida Atlantic. Again, he looked like an 18-year-old quarterback.
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Chiles got not just his first passing touchdown as a Spartan, but three passing touchdowns to go with 24 of 39 passing and 363 yards. He also had three interceptions, which very nearly cost the Spartans the game.
Chiles has about as strong an arm as any quarterback to wear the green and white in recent memory. He is dangerous when he is on the move.
Perhaps a critique is that he should try to make more plays with his legs, he has seemed cautious to these first two games. The first pass rusher to get to Chiles likely won’t bring him down — Chiles has a great feel for the pocket and he is quite slippery.
Chiles overcame some poor mistakes and throwing mechanics (his feet tend to get wide and it factors into his overthrows) to lead the Spartans in the most critical of situations against a sturdy Maryland defense.
Huge game for Chiles, who showed why the hype was so promising.
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Can the Spartans Stay Healthy on Defense?
Already, this Spartans squad is beaten up. Dillon Tatum, a key defensive back, lost for the season. Wide receiver Alante Brown, whose injury allowed for Nick Marsh to announce himself to the world, lost for the foreseeable future. Kristian Phillips at guard was huge.
During the Maryland game, several Spartans were beat up. Few even had to go into the tent on the sideline. It will be crucial for the Spartans to remain healthy, especially on defense. Most especially in the defensive backfield.
The Spartans are very confident in their young defensive backs — Justin Denson Jr., Andrew Brinson IV, and Jaylen Thompson can all be very good players, but they need more time to develop.
If more Spartans fall to injury, the defensive backfield could get very young.
Nick Marsh is the Real Deal
Marsh was the recruiting gem of 2024, the best player in a class with plenty of good talent. A highly-rated four-star, Marsh was the No. 107-ranked player in the class by 247Sports. Marsh, of course, stood out in fall camp like the high-profile recruit he was.
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6-foot-3, 208 pounds, Marsh already had a man’s body. At just 18 years old.
“Possesses the size, athleticism, and multi-sport profile that projects very well in the long term,” 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks wrote. “Traitsy mismatch wideout with high-major impact potential and the ceiling to develop into an NFL Draft candidate.”
With the loss of Brown, Marsh was asked to step up. Step up he did — eight receptions for 194 receiving yards and a touchdown. Wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins might have his next in the line of Jalen Nailor, Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman.
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The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration will provide an additional $23.1 million in federal aid to the agency’s national Home Visiting Program in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
More money is on the way for a home-visiting health care program designed to provide better care for pregnant women, new parents and infants.
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced an additional $23.1 million in federal aid to the agency’s national Home Visiting Program in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
The extra money is the first time in a decade that the program has received an increase in federal funds, HRSA administrator Carol Johnson said.
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“What those resources mean is that we’re able to support nurses, social workers and trained home visitors, and help with those early days of being a new parent,” Johnson said. “All of this has been shown to really make a difference in kids’ outcomes. Kids are so much stronger because they get these kinds of supports.”
Johnson said the program’s success hinges on convenient health visits in a comfortable at-home setting.
“When you’re a new parent, if you have to take off from work and take a few buses to get to an appointment, you’re probably not going to do it,” she said. “But if that person comes to your house and they’re full of resources and knowledge, it’s going to make a huge difference to you.”
Rockville, Maryland-based HRSA spearheads the national program, teaming up with local health organizations to target and reach parents.
Home health care workers can provide breastfeeding support, safe sleep tips and developmental screening for babies. They can even help parents find key services like affordable child care or job and educational opportunities.
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“It’s changed my life,” past program participant Fatima Ray said.
Ray said she was introduced to the program in 2015 when she needed help with her infant daughter. She and her husband were first-time parents and stumbled through the first few months with a newborn.
“It felt good, like I had someone on my team,” Ray said. “Those questions you forget to ask the doctor sometimes, she would answer them.”
The experience impressed Ray so much that she became a home health visitor. She is the maternal health coordinator at Primo Center, a homeless shelter for families in Chicago.
“The same care that was given to me, I just want to pass it on,” Ray told WTOP. “I know how much it made a difference in my life. Home visiting matters.”
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President Joseph Biden signed bipartisan legislation in 2022 that doubles funding for the program over five years. The move was part of a campaign promise to lower risks linked to pregnancy and improve maternal health, especially among women in rural, tribal and low-income communities.
The national home visiting program will receive $440 million Maryland’s local programs will get $10 million of those funds. Virginia is slated to receive $11 million and D.C.’s home visiting programs will see a $2.5 million increase.
“This will push home visiting forward a lot more,” Ray said. “It’s just going to help tremendously.”
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Michigan State won a big time road game over Maryland, improving their record to 2-0, and giving head coach Jonathan Smith his first Big Ten conference victory as the head man of the Spartans.
A big part of that win was the connection between Aidan Chiles and Nick Marsh, and more specifically their 77-yard touchdown connection tying the game 24-24 late in the fourth quarter.
Chiles and Marsh spoke to the media after the team’s win, which you can watch via Spartan Mag on YouTube:
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Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner
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