Dyann Mack, the interim superintendent for Harford County Public Schools, will continue to lead the district for the next four years.
The school board voted 7-3 on Tuesday to choose Mack for the top job over another finalist, Abingdon Elementary School Principal Stacey Gerringer.
Mack is Harford County’s first Black superintendent. She will continue leading the school system in a politically divided community, where debates over library books and leaders’ morality have taken center stage in recent months.
Mack was the system’s deputy superintendent until the school board fired her predecessor, Sean Bulson, in February. Politicians and community members called for Bulson’s removal after a social media firestorm cast scrutiny on his actions during a work trip to New Orleans in 2024.
At Mack’s first board meeting as interim superintendent, she said, “We need to make the noise stop. It serves as a distraction to our work.”
Lauren Paige, the school board president, said the search process focused on candidates who were fiscally responsible, prioritized academic excellence and put families first. Eight “outstanding candidates” were presented to board members, she said.
The New Orleans events cast a “dark cloud” over the school system, said Paige, but it is “time to move forward” with someone who “puts students ahead of politics” and believes the focus should again be on the fundamentals.
The board members who did not vote to approve Mack were Melissa Hahn and two newer board members appointed by the county executive, Liliana Norkaitis and BangTam Miller.
Miller said she voted “no” because, after getting input from the community, there was no consensus in the public. Among employees, students and parents, some were for Mack and some were against, she said. Miller would have preferred to extend Mack’s interim term so she could prove her leadership capability.
Hahn said she had “many” concerns about the selection process, which she said grew after a closed meeting earlier Tuesday. She said she felt board members were manipulated during the closed session.
After Mack received a majority of board votes, the room erupted in applause as audience members rose from their seats.
Mack has worked in the school system for more than 30 years. A Joppatowne High School graduate, Mack holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Walden University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Loyola College and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education from Lincoln University.
Before entering the superintendent’s cabinet, Mack worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal, as well as both director and executive director of the district’s school instruction and performance department.
Nicole Clark, the third vice president of Harford County’s NAACP, said the school board made the right choice with Mack.
“Our county deserves a leader who understands both the community and the needs of our students,” she said in a statement. “Dr. Mack’s deep roots in the county, combined with her exceptional background in education, make her uniquely qualified for this position. She has devoted her entire career to supporting our children and championing student success.”
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