Baltimore County’s school board on Tuesday selected Ray and Associates to lead its search for a new superintendent.

The Minnesota-based firm will identify candidates from around the country to lead Baltimore County Public Schools. The search will cost the district $50,000 this fiscal year and up to $100,000, depending on how long it takes.

The search begins two months after Superintendent Myriam Rogers suddenly announced she’d be retiring at the end of the school year — one year before her four-year contract ends. Rogers, who steered BCPS during a time of teacher cuts and academic gains, said at the time of her retirement announcement that she was looking forward to being with her family.

Ray and Associates is the same search firm the board used to find Darryl Williams, who served as superintendent from 2019 to 2023. Williams chose not to seek a second term after leading the school system through the pandemic and facing persistent criticism.

When the board sought to replace Williams, it hired McPherson and Jacobson LLC to conduct a national search, which led to four finalists, including Rogers. Rogers was the only local candidate and the only one without superintendent or state-level education experience.

Under Rogers’ leadership, academics have improved, and the share of students who are chronically absent has dropped. The district had the most five-star schools two years in a row on Maryland’s school report card, and test scores have been on the rise. Rogers was recently given the National Women In School Leadership Award from the School Superintendents Association.

Rogers has also faced scandals and criticism over the school system’s budget.

Last year, a state investigation cast doubt on whether she lived in Baltimore County, a stipulation in her contract. The previous year, school system hiring protocols were called into question when a Banner investigation revealed that former high school teacher and athletic director Dazhon Darien lacked the credentials for those positions. Darien was later convicted of using artificial intelligence to impersonate his principal, Eric Eiswert, and is now facing federal charges related to child sexual exploitation.

All three of Rogers’ budget proposals came with massive job cuts, and some critics said her budgets lacked transparency. That was among the reasons County Council members called for the local inspector general to have oversight of the school system. A bill to make that happen did not pass the Maryland General Assembly.

Baltimore County joins Harford and Prince George’s counties in the hunt for new superintendents. Baltimore City Public Schools named a new leader this week.

About the Education Hub

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