The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County today unanimously approved the appointment of Mark Bedell as the next Superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
Dr. Bedell has served as the superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools since 2016 and is the longest serving superintendent of the district in more than 50 years. He has earned high acclaim for his work in restoring the district’s full accreditation, closing achievement gaps, and raising the school system’s graduation rate.
“Education is the pathway to economic prosperity. If we do education right, it doesn’t matter how you show up and where you come from, you can overcome,” Dr. Bedell said following his appointment. “We have a responsibility as an administrative staff here to make sure that every single one of our kids grows…
“I am the superintendent of all,” Dr. Bedell continued. “I will serve each and every single one of our kids with a high degree of care and concern and we will make sure that our ultimate goal is how to we move this school district to become a top five school district in the state…”
Dr. Bedell will begin his four-year term on July 1, 2022. He will succeed George Arlotto, who has served as Superintendent of Schools since 2014. As Dr. Bedell transitions to AACPS and relocates to Anne Arundel County with his family, an acting superintendent will be designated to serve from July 1, 2022, until August 8, 2022.
Under the terms of a contract also approved by the Board today, Dr. Bedell will earn $305,000 annually.
In Kansas City, Dr. Bedell and his team have created an innovative Equity Policy to direct the school system’s resources and programs so that every student has the opportunity to reach his or her greatest potential. He has been named a “Superintendent to Watch” by the National School Public Relations Association and a “New Superintendent of the Year” by the Missouri Association of School Administrators. He also was a finalist in 2020 for the Council of the Great City Schools’ Green-Garner Award – the top award for urban superintendents and school board members across the country.
Prior to his current position, Dr. Bedell served as a school improvement officer for the Houston Independent School District and as the assistant superintendent for high schools for Baltimore County Public Schools. He is also a former Anne Arundel County resident.
Dr. Bedell holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Fisk University, where he also played basketball; a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Tennessee State University; and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
With a 2021-22 enrollment of more than 83,000 students, Anne Arundel County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in Maryland and among the 40 largest in the United States.
To view Dr. Bedell’s appointment and introductory news conference, click here.