Anne Arundel County Public Schools board unanimously reappoints Dr. Mark Bedell

The Board of Education for the anne arundel county public schools unanimously voted on Wednesday to reappoint Dr. Mark Bedell to a second four-year term as superintendent, keeping him in charge as the district completes major redistricting and staffing work.

Board cites staffing, academic and safety work

The board highlighted several concrete achievements in its decision, saying Bedell has overseen the district's emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic and managed two phases of redistricting across the Annapolis, Arundel, Broadneck, Crofton, Severna Park, South River and Southern clusters. Board President Gloria Dent praised relationships Bedell built with partners and the community, saying, "The relationships Dr. Bedell has created among our many partners and in the community and the work he and his team have done to create better learning environments for all of our students have us in a better place than we were four years ago. "

Anne Arundel County Public Schools: operations and recent incidents

Board members pointed to specific operational gains under Bedell, including efforts to address bus driver and staff vacancies, work to correct chronic absenteeism and improvements in elementary math and language arts programs. Bedell, who was first appointed in June 2022, also led the district's response to a Feb. 4 incident at Freetown Elementary School, when a second-grade student suffered a hand injury after a firearm accidentally discharged inside a classroom.

What Bedell and the board said and what comes next

Bedell said, "When I arrived four years ago, I said that I believed this school district could be a premier school district in the United States. We have taken significant steps toward doing exactly that and I am proud of what our team has accomplished. There is a lot more to do, though, and I am excited about working with everyone in this district to do it over the next four years. " The board's unanimous vote keeps him set to lead the district through the next phase of work on redistricting and staffing.

The reappointment is contingent on the successful completion of negotiations for a formal contract; completing those negotiations is the next confirmed step before Bedell's second four-year term is finalized.