After leading Maryland’s education system temporarily for eight months, Carey Wright is kicking off her own four-year term as the State Superintendent of Schools. And she’s got a lot on her plate.
There’s the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a multi-billion-dollar package of education reforms that has multiple implementation deadlines co-occurring over the next four years.
“This is such a golden opportunity for us to really take advantage of everybody leaning in and heading in the same direction where implementation is concerned,” Wright told WYPR on Monday. “It really has the potential to provide a lot of tremendous opportunities for children.”
Wright said she’s continuing to meet with local school district leaders to hear out and address their concerns about Blueprint implementation — like lags in funding.
“The State Department is here to support our districts,” she said. “And so everybody is there to listen to each other. And then to see how we can change what we can change and massage what may need to be massaged. But keeping the ultimate goal of improving student outcomes, always, always, always at the forefront.”
Wright is also leading the charge for a shift to the “science of reading” — a method that focuses on teaching phonics instead of memorization.
In January, the state board of education adopted a resolution to have every local district using the science of reading strategy by Fall 2024 — with an end goal of placing top 10 on the National Assessment for Educational Proficiency by 2027.
“This is above and beyond the Blueprint,” Wright told WYPR. “From my prior work, I know that this is the way that we need to be teaching children to read. And when you've only got a 47% proficiency rate across the state, it's really important that you tackle that.”
Wright previously served as the state superintendent in Mississippi for nine years. During her tenure, state test scores in math and reading rose from the worst in the country to near national average.
To start that shift in Maryland, over 33,000 educators will receive professional development training over the next four years. Wright said she’s working to secure another grant — in addition to the $6.85 million from the Ibis Group announced in May — to ensure all teachers and paraprofessionals receive training.
“I'm a big believer in building capacity for people,” Wright said. “And so we need to make sure that we are meeting the needs of our teachers where they are, and then making sure that they are comfortable with teaching the content and feel that they've got the skill sets to do that.”
Wright said she hopes to take the same initiative with math standards.
“At just my second board meeting from arriving in October, the statement was made that 76% of our schools receive a 3,4,5 star rating, but we have a 47% proficiency rate in reading and a 23% proficiency rate in math,” Wright said. “I thought, ‘Something's not right. You can't have all of those schools rated that high and have these low proficiency rates.’”
That’s why Wright assembled a taskforce to look at the state accountability systems and measures for local schools. The group will report their findings — and any recommended changes — by December, she said.
Wright took over as the Maryland Superintendent of Schools in October after former superintendent Mohammed Choudhury stepped down amid reports of a “toxic” work environment.
The state board of education voted unanimously in April to offer Wright a full four-year term lasting until July 2028.
