Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell will host the first of his series of Listening and Learning Tour sessions to gather input from residents across Anne Arundel County on Monday, November 28, at Annapolis High School.
Dr. Bedell has also added a 16th session – a third to be conducted in Spanish – to the schedule. That session will be held on Friday, December 16, at Brock Bridge Elementary School.
“In order for us to move from a really good school district to a great one, we need the input of everyone across the county, whether they have students in our school system or not,” Dr. Bedell said. “These sessions are critical as we prepare our post-entry plan and move toward the creation of a new Strategic Plan that will guide the work throughout our school system.”
The sessions will feature opening remarks from Dr. Bedell about his background and vision for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Following those remarks, attendees – unlike in a town-hall style forum – will break into small groups for facilitated sessions centered around three essential questions:
- What does AACPS do well?
- Where can AACPS improve?
- What new things do you hope to see in AACPS?
Responses will be recorded and posted online after the sessions conclude. The public will have an opportunity to add additional comments following the sessions.
Sessions will be held according to the schedule below. With the exception of the sessions at Brock Bridge and Tyler Heights elementary schools, all sessions will run from 6 to 8 p.m., with Dr. Bedell’s remarks beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Sessions will be held on the following dates:
- Monday, November 28: Annapolis High School
- Monday, December 5: Meade High School
- Tuesday, December 6: Northeast High School
- Tuesday, December 13: Old Mill High School
- Thursday, December 15: Broadneck High School
- Friday, December 16: Brock Bridge Elementary School (conducted in Spanish)
- Monday, December 19: North County High School
- Tuesday, December 20: Chesapeake High School
- Wednesday, December 21: Glen Burnie High School
- Tuesday, January 3: Crofton High School
- Thursday, January 5: Severna Park High School
- Monday, January 9: South River High School
- Tuesday, January 10: Southern High School
- Wednesday, January 11: Arundel High School
Interpreters will be available to assist at all of the sessions above if needed. Anyone requiring interpretation services should call the bilingual facilitator at their student’s school to make those arrangements. Those who do not have children in school and who require an interpreter should call 410-222-5316.
SPANISH SESSIONS
To help ensure that AACPS’ growing Hispanic population has an opportunity to provide input, two sessions to be conducted entirely in Spanish have been scheduled as follows:
- Thursday, December 8: Park Elementary School
- Friday, December 16: Brock Bridge Elementary School (this session begins and Dr. Bedell will deliver remarks at 5:30 p.m.)
- Wednesday, January 4: Tyler Heights Elementary School (this session begins and Dr. Bedell will deliver remarks at 5:30 p.m.)