From Superintendents Harrison to Rogers: What Has Actually Improved in Baltimore County Public Schools?

By Kay Ott, Republican Women of Baltimore County Public Education Chair

After hearing about the sudden resignation of current superintendent, Dr. Myriam Rogers, I found myself going back through the history of leadership in BCPS and asking a simple but important question: what has truly improved, what has declined, and what has simply been reframed? From Dr. Joe A. Hairston (2000–2012) to Dr. S. Dallas Dance (2012–2017), to Verletta White (2017–2019, interim) to Dr. Darryl L. Williams (2019–2023), and now Rogers, the story isn’t just about leadership changes—it’s about whether those changes translated into meaningful outcomes for students.

During the Hairston era, BCPS was widely viewed as a strong, high-performing district, often reporting results above state averages (Maryland Report Card, MSDE). But beneath those averages were persistent and significant achievement gaps—between White and Black students, between higher-income and low-income students, and between general education students and students with disabilities—often exceeding 20–30 percentage points (NAEP; MSDE Report Card). These gaps were not resolved.

When Dr. Dallas Dance took over in 2012; he brought a vision of modernization through a districtwide 1:1 device rollout. BCPS invested tens of millions of dollars in technology and related contracts (Towson Flyer, 2017), yet academic gains—particularly in literacy—were not clearly demonstrated. His tenure ended in scandal; in 2018, Dance pleaded guilty to perjury related to undisclosed consulting income tied to district contracts (U.S. Department of Justice, 2018; Baltimore Sun, 2018).

Following this, Verletta White served as interim superintendent. Despite local support, she was denied permanent appointment by the Maryland State Department of Education after ethics violations were confirmed, including failure to disclose outside income (CBS Baltimore, 2018; WYPR, 2018). During this period, student performance remained largely flat or declining.

Dr. Darryl L. Williams led BCPS through the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2023), during which student performance declined significantly nationwide (NCES, 2022). However, reporting indicates BCPS recovery lagged other Maryland districts (WYPR, 2022). This raises the question of whether COVID alone explains the decline, or whether it exposed pre-existing system weaknesses—particularly given prior investments in digital infrastructure.

When Dr. Myriam Rogers took office in 2023, BCPS reported improvements in attendance, early literacy, and school ratings (BCPS Communications, 2024–2025). However, Maryland’s school rating system is a composite index that includes attendance, growth, and graduation—not just academic proficiency (MSDE Report Card). At the same time, MCAP data shows that only about 45–47% of students are proficient in English Language Arts (MSDE MCAP Report, 2025), meaning roughly half of students are not reading at grade level.

Across five superintendents and 25 years, patterns are clear: leadership instability, ethics concerns, significant financial investment without clear academic return, and persistent literacy challenges. Meanwhile, assessment systems have changed (MSA → PARCC → MCAP), making long-term comparisons difficult—but all consistently show concerning proficiency levels.

As Dr. Rogers steps down before the end of her contract (CBS Baltimore, 2026), BCPS once again faces a leadership transition. But the more important question is not who leads next—it is how progress is being defined.

If improvement is being measured through attendance, composite ratings, and early indicators—while half of students remain below proficiency—then we must ask:

Are these measures capturing real academic growth—or creating the appearance of progress?

Is this meaningful progress, or simply well-packaged data?

Baltimore County Public Schools 25 Years Superintendents - No Student Improvements