Baltimore County Public Schools announced on Monday that William “Bill” Heiser, the chief operating officer of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, will be its new superintendent.
The announcement comes less than two weeks before Heiser starts the job. He’ll take over July 1 following Myriam Rogers’ retirement, after she completed three years of her four-year contract.
Heiser, a top leader in Anne Arundel, where more than 85,000 kids attend school, will now head the third-largest school district in Maryland, with 108,000 students.
Heiser comes to Baltimore County after the district faced consecutive years of position cuts but also raised its test scores. It’s home to the top-ranked high school in the state, but less than a quarter of the district’s students are proficient in math on the state test. The school board has been divided throughout Rogers’ term, though November’s election may produce new faces.
“In Baltimore County, it’s going to take a lot of engagement,” Heiser said at a town hall event with the other superintendent finalists last week. “Engagement leads to trust, trust leads to relationships. Those things don’t happen overnight. So, I’m committed.”
At the town hall, Heiser said Baltimore County’s graduation rate had to improve, from the current 84% to 90%. Pass rates for Algebra I needed to increase from 11% to 20%, he added.
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“Now those aren’t empty promises,” he said.
State data shows 45% of Baltimore County students were proficient in English on the state test last year across all grades. Only 21% were proficient in math. About 1 in 10 students passed the Algebra I test last year, compared to 1 in 5 who passed statewide. The district has more Black algebra test-takers than any other part of the state, and it has some of the worst results, with just 5.7% passing.
He told the audience that Baltimore County’s financial struggles are the biggest challenge the district will face for the next several years. He said he has the skills to advocate for more resources from “whoever becomes the next county executive.”
Every Baltimore County school should look like Towson’s George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, one of the county’s most beautiful schools, he added.
As Anne Arundel’s chief operating officer, Heiser oversaw the district’s $195 million capital budget and infrastructure planning.
He was also responsible for Anne Arundel’s redistricting process, which resulted in reassigning 700 kids to new schools this fall. The endeavor angered families and frayed relationships among school board members.
Students and parents accused Heiser of misunderstanding the link between school enrollment and state funding for school construction and later sued to block implementation of the plan. That case is pending.
“This is why the community is having trouble believing what Dr. Heiser and his team are telling us,” one father said during a November board meeting.
Anne Arundel Superintendent Mark Bedell later chastised Heiser’s critics for questioning the integrity, credentials and work ethic of his staff, and in the end, members of the Anne Arundel County school board voted to approve the plan.
During the town hall, Heiser acknowledged the difficult process and positioned it as an example of how he built relationships in the school district community to boost morale.
Listening is the key, he said, something leaders must do.
Bedell called Heiser passionate, dedicated, innovative and thoughtful.
“I have absolutely no doubt that he will be a superb leader for the students, families, and staff in Baltimore County and I look forward to continuing to work with him as a colleague in his new role,” he said in a statement.
Heiser said he fell in love with Baltimore County when he first visited as a prospective Loyola University Maryland student. He played soccer and met his wife there. He’s a father of two sons who are 18 and 22.
Heiser has worked in education since 2003, starting as a school counselor at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George’s County. The Bowie native became an assistant principal at Gwynn Park High School in 2006, according to his LinkedIn profile, then transferred to Annapolis High School in Anne Arundel two years later. In 2010, he became principal of North County High School in the same district, where he was named Maryland’s high school principal of the year.
He did a two-year stint at Catonsville High School in Baltimore County between 2013 and 2015, followed by eight years as the head of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore, where for 16 years every graduating senior was accepted into college, he told WBAL in 2023.
Heiser beat out three other finalists for the superintendent job, which was advertised as either an interim or permanent role.
The school board had little time to find the system’s next leader, as members didn’t learn of Rogers’ decision to retire until February. They also considered for the top job:
- Penelope Martin-Knox, the superintendent of Raytown C-2 School District in Missouri
- Edward Ryans, Prince George’s County’s associate superintendent for high schools and nontraditional programs
- David Sovine, the outgoing superintendent of Washington County Public Schools
While the final four candidates had extensive education backgrounds, the county’s League of Women Voters called for the board to redo the search process in a Wednesday news release, claiming the candidates weren’t qualified to turn around the district’s academic performance.
The search was also upsetting to the region’s NAACP members. Chapters in Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County, Howard County and Randallstown did not “endorse, support, or have faith in” the selection process, a Thursday email said, claiming the process lacked transparency and disregarded “vital” input from constituents.
The Baltimore County and Randallstown chapters’ requests to participate in the superintendent interview panel were denied, according to the email. The school district’s website says the panel would be for union groups, school system-affiliated groups and 15 community members.
“By this action, the Board has sidelined respected partners who have represented the interests of African Americans and marginalized communities for over a century,” the email said.
The local chapters called for the board to pick an interim superintendent instead.
The Baltimore County school board will meet on Wednesday to formally appoint Heiser. His contract is still being negotiated.
Banner reporter Jessica Calefati contributed to this story.
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