August 19, 2025 Staff and Community Update: Highlights from the Superintendent’s Press Conference
Watch the press conference
Dr. Myriam Rogers held a media availability today, August 19, to discuss the school system’s readiness for the opening of schools. BCPS will welcome more than 110,000 students on August 25, the first day of the 2025-2026 school year.
U.S. News and World Report
- U.S. News and World Report released their 2025-2026 best high schools rankings and BCPS high schools, once again, rank among the best in the state and the nation. Eastern Technical was named the best high school in Maryland and Western School of Technology was ranked 5th best in the state! We have three high schools among the top 30 high schools in the state, with Carver Center rounding out the list at #24 in the state. BCPS has eight schools in the top 100.
- Congratulations to these incredible school communities. We are proud of the achievements of our students and staff and we celebrate these results while we continue working to ensure that all our students are learning and growing at schools that are the best in Maryland and the nation.
Recruitment
- BCPS is nearly 100 percent staffed, with just 47.8 vacancies remaining as of August 19. 130 of our schools have no vacancies and 97 percent of the schools with vacancies have 2 or fewer openings. Over the summer, we held seven hiring events with nearly 1,700 attendees.
- Human Resources will continue to move applicants through the process, working diligently to fill the remaining vacancies. We will also continue to work with our partner agency to place qualified long-term substitutes.
- We know that key recruitment and retention strategies include providing competitive pay, opportunities for growth and promotion and a supportive and inspiring climate and culture. We continue to make significant progress in this work, even in this challenging fiscal landscape.
Curriculum and Instruction
- This year marks our third year of using HMH Into Reading in elementary English Language Arts (ELA) and teachers will continue to build on this strong foundation with a focus on reading, writing, and vocabulary. Students will continue to use Amira to support fluency and comprehension growth. All middle and high schools will fully implement Savvas myPerspectives as the new English Language Arts curriculum.
- In math, elementary students will continue using the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum. Secondary students will continue to sharpen their mathematical thinking with the use of Illustrative Mathematics curriculum.
- We are pleased to announce that 23 elementary schools will participate in a year-long cursive writing pilot focused on accelerating writing output, boosting writing fluency, and increasing academic confidence. More information on this pilot will be released soon.
- Families and stakeholders are invited to discover more about what students will learn this school year at the BCPS Curriculum Night on September 16 at Pikesville High School.
- We have a robust professional learning plan for the 2025-2025 school year and provided more than 45 days of professional development and training this summer. More than 6,000 teachers and paraprofessionals participated in June training on the science of learning and relationship building.
- Daily attendance is crucial for student success. We encourage all parents and caregivers to support their child in being Here for It! Our attendance initiative is in its third year and offers students, parents, and educators’ valuable tools. 120 of our schools further reduced chronic absenteeism this past year. Tips to get the 2025-2026 school year started off strong can be found on our website.
Capital Planning
- BCPS worked on more than 70 capital projects this summer that include replacement HVAC systems, fire alarm systems, roofs, boilers, chillers, intercom systems, secure vestibules, electrical upgrades, and mechanical upgrades. An additional 18 schools have grant/special projects in progress that include playgrounds, scoreboards, stadium enhancements and school signs. Both replacement and new capital projects improve BCPS’ infrastructure.
- This work is in addition to summer cleaning and refresh—including maintenance projects, painting, flooring, and general site beautification—to open all our buildings ready for our students on Monday.
- Over the summer, BCPS provided more than 400,000 meals to students at more than two dozen Summer Meals program sites. This school year, we will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all students at all schools, no application required.
- We launched our new Oracle Cloud system this summer. Phase I of the project was critical for achieving an integrated Human Resources and Payroll platform that is user-friendly and simplifies data, processes and practices electronically. This is a significant project for our school system that will elevate our systems, streamline processes, and enhance overall efficiency. Phase II, which involves our financial systems, will go live in July 2026.
Safety and Social-Emotional/Mental Health Resources
- BCPS remains committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. This year, we will continue to partner with nearly two dozen community mental health providers across schools to provide comprehensive services and supports for students. BCPS students ages 13 and older can also continue to access free virtual therapy or online support through TalkSpace. 16,299 messages were sent last year.
- We are grateful for the strong partnership we have with the Baltimore County Police Department and the work of our School Resource officers to keep our students safe. Our safety assistants will continue to work with school staff and our SROs to foster positive relationships in the school building.
- We will continue to leverage Omnilert and the Open Gate detection system in our schools and at athletic events to provide an additional layer of safety in our communities. As a reminder, safety is a shared responsibility. When we work together and commit to upholding our roles, we create safe and welcoming spaces where students can maximize learning and experience all that our schools have to offer.
- While technology enhancements advance our efforts focused on improved climate and safety, the work that we do in partnership with families is equally important. Positive, respectful relationships between students, staff and families contribute to academic progress. BCPS is committed to implementing with fidelity clear behavioral and intervention support programs for student success. Families will receive specific information about discipline program expectations from schools. This information will also be posted on school websites. As a reminder, all families must review the 2025-2026 Student Handbook and Transportation Handbook prior to the start of the school year.
- Working in collaboration with school administrators, the PTA Council of Baltimore County, and other stakeholders, BCPS has refined its cell phone use and expectations plan for 2025-26. Last year, we piloted a cell phone pouch program in more than a dozen secondary schools. This year, we are launching a systemwide Off and Away, Every School, Every Day campaign. Cell phone use is prohibited during the instructional day in all BCPS elementary and middle schools and cell phone use is restricted during the instructional day in all BCPS high schools. Schools are sharing their specific plans with families and will have information posted on their websites.
- We encourage all parents and caregivers to connect to their children’s schools. Joining the parent teacher student association, volunteering, and/or attending school events are just some of the many ways you can participate and help ensure this school year is a successful one for our students and staff.
BCPS is excited for the school year, and we look forward to engaging with students, staff and families at community meetings and engagement opportunities throughout the year! We will kick off this fall with a series of Community Conversations on the development of a new strategic plan for the system. The first meeting will be held on September 18 at Windsor Mill Middle School. More information will be provided soon.