Baltimore County Public Schools

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September 26, 2023, Staff and Community Update: Highlights from the Superintendent’s September 2023 Press Conference

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Dr. Myriam Rogers held a media availability today, September 26, to share updates on the 2023-2024 school year. Dr. Rogers provided updates on the following topics and answered questions from the media:
First Month of School

• Team BCPS is just about one month into the new school year, and it has been a strong start for our 111,000 students and 20,000+ employees.
   
• The superintendent and her leadership team have been out visiting schools throughout the county and have been very pleased to see rigorous teaching in all content areas, highly engaged students, and excited leaders across schools and offices.
   
• At the elementary level, teachers prepared over the summer for the launch and implementation of our new ELA curriculum HMH Into Reading in all schools, and at the secondary level, BCPS is continuing its implementation of the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum. High-quality, evidence-based curriculum is key to raising student achievement.
   
• Throughout the year the school system will examine data to evaluate implementation of curriculum, student learning, and determine additional professional development needs.
   
• Superintendent Rogers shared that the first phase of the decentralization of our ESOL Centers has gone very well and the following BCPS middle and high schools welcomed students receiving ESOL services to their zoned schools at the start of the school year: Cockeysville Middle School, Southwest Academy, Franklin Middle School, Holabird Middle School, Deer Park Middle School, Woodlawn Middle School,  Arbutus Middle School, Dulaney High School, Franklin High School, Catonsville High School, Patapsco High School, Kenwood High School, and Milford Mill Academy. Phase two of the decentralization process will involve meeting with school leadership teams of the next set of schools to discuss professional development opportunities and support registration for students, especially those students who will be entering 6th and 9th grades.
   
• The system remains laser-focused on the four priority areas—Academic Achievement, Infrastructure, Safety and Climate, and Highly Effective Teachers, Leaders, and Staff—and we firmly believe that if we embrace all stakeholder, engage them in authentic collaboration and empower them to be a part of positive change, then our students, staff and system will excel. BCPS is prioritizing resources, investments, and support in these most critical areas now, to ensure success moving forward.

Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget Process

• The FY 2025 operating budget process is officially underway, and the superintendent is excited to share information about this important process and the system’s commitment to providing Team BCPS stakeholders with multiple opportunities to get involved and share their thoughts on how BCPS can Fast Forward to meet the needs of all students and staff.  
   
• Work on the operating budget for the next fiscal year typically begins in the summer, with a preliminary budget estimate completed by early fall. After considering all requests from BCPS offices and reviewing recommendations from schools, executive leadership, and stakeholder groups, the superintendent will submit a proposed budget to the Board of Education in January. 
   
• As the community works together to build the FY 2025 Operating Budget, student learning will remain BCPS’ main priority and at the core of the system’s work. The operating budget lays out the strategies the school system will use to achieve its goal of being a premier school system in the state and nation and matches them with the investments needed to implement the strategy.
   
• Members of the Team BCPS community are encouraged to be a part of this critical process. Dr. Rogers wants to hear from our staff, families, students and community members, and the system will provide multiple opportunities for stakeholders to share their thoughts and ideas on the areas they believe BCPS should prioritize in the budget and investments that the system should make to ensure it can provide the greatest public education to every student. These opportunities include:
   
• An operating Budget survey that will be sent to all staff, parents, and stakeholders this week.
• Five “Community Conversations” on the operating budget. The first one will take place October 12 at Sparrows Point High School.
• Board of Education public hearings
• Area Advisory Council meetings on the budget, and
• A new “Budget 101” website that provides information provides an overview of what’s in the BCPS operating budget.
   
• This will be a challenging budget cycle for BCPS and school systems across the nation because federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) stimulus funds for public K-12 schools will run out soon. facing a budget shortfall (“fiscal cliff”) from ongoing ESSER initiatives. Additionally, there are significant new expenses associated with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation which also need to be covered. With these challenges, extra scrutiny will be given to all budget submissions to help identify potential savings that can be redirected to offset this shortfall.

Transition Team Final Report

• Dr. Rogers is pleased to share highlights of her Transition Team’s final report that was released at the end of August.
   
• 39 individuals graciously agreed to serve on the Transition Team and share their deep expertise and understanding of the issues impacting BCPS and public education.
   
• The transition team critically assessed BCPS’ current state of teaching and learning, operations, and culture/context. They were charged with developing short-term and long-term recommendations that will spur system progress in the following focus areas:
   
• Teaching and Learning
• Culture and Climate
• Infrastructure
• Operations
• Community Engagement and Communication
   
• Their assessment resulted in a list of 23 short- and long-term recommendations to drive improvement in our five focus areas. I am grateful to the members of the transition team who worked intensely over a 21-day period to develop very comprehensive and thoughtful recommendations. The full report is available on the BCPS website.
   
• Dr. Rogers has launched a review process with members of cabinet, and they are working through an implementation timeline. For some of the recommendations, work has already begun across divisions. Dr. Rogers will share details about next steps with the community soon.

WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE