Baltimore County Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers looking to move "forward" with progress

BALTIMORE - Baltimore County Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers has optimistic expectations heading into a new school year.

On Tuesday, Rogers captured the excitement of the district's progress over the summer and the bold changes they plan to implement this school year.

Baltimore County school teachers are getting their classrooms ready and finalizing those lesson plans with the first school bell set to ring on Monday.

Baltimore County Schools initiative

With a new school year comes the renewed priorities for Baltimore County Public Schools, which are part of a long-term plan to streamline an emphasis on four key areas --- academic achievement, infrastructure, safety and climate and highly effective teachers, leaders and staff.

"This has allowed us to take measurable steps to deliver on our promise to fast forward student achievement and move our system forward," Rogers said.

Nearly-full staff

Forward means addressing critical issues like teacher recruitment and retention.

Baltimore County schools are welcoming 600 new teachers this academic year following a hiring blitz over the summer. That means county schools are 99% staffed.

"Just 102.6 vacancies remaining as of yesterday evening, more than 100 of our schools have zero vacancies, and 90% of schools who have vacancies have two or fewer openings," Rogers said.

A nearly full staff comes with the need to continue giving county students a full education.

Putting cellphones away

The district has utilized community partners and summer programs to keep students and teachers on track, along with changes to grading and reporting processes. But to do that, the district is addressing another issue that affects the school day -- cellphone usage.

"Smartphones and school time simply do not mix," Rogers said.

Cellphones are a major issue for teachers and staff when it comes to educating students.

To tackle that concern, 16 county middle and high schools volunteered to pilot a new program utilizing pouches to restrict cellphone use as a way to reduce distractions and disruptions in the classroom.

"Pulling them away from the social media and giving them that real human interaction, I would say that's the biggest challenge that we all need to wrap our arms around these 111,000+ students on a regular basis to make sure that they're cared for," Rogers said.

Rogers says this will be a collaborative effort by all stakeholders to stick to the vision for a greater school district that educates and keeps students safe and engaged.

"We're here for the long-term and we're here to make sure that our students, as a result of experiences, that they have with us from Pre-K through Grade 12, that they are better as a result of those experiences," Rogers said.