Teacher Appreciation Luncheon - Honoring Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryand State Superintendent of Schools

BEYA 2008

February 16,2008

12:00-2:00pm   

Room 324-326

 

Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

 

 

Nancy S. Grasmick

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools

 

First Lady of Education

A woman of courage who dared to make a difference

A tireless advocate for education

 

These are just a few of the phrases Maryland's media and civic leaders have used to describe Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland's first female state superintendent and the U.S.'s longest serving appointed schools chief. Dr. Grasmick is known for her strong focus on student achievement, teacher quality, parent involvement, public school funding, and early care and education. In fact, it is this commitment to high-quality early learning that has made Maryland the only state in the nation to have consolidated all its early childhood programs at the state department of education.

 

Under Dr. Grasmick's leadership, Maryland has been nationally recognized for its many achievements. Maryland's SAT scores continue to rank first in the College Board's Middle States region, and Maryland leads the nation in improving high school students' performance in the rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) program. In fact, Maryland is one of just three states in which more than 20 percent of graduating seniors have taken and passed at least one AP exam. Dr. Grasmick's career in education began as a teacher of deaf children at the William S. Baer School in Baltimore City. She subsequently served as a classroom and resource teacher, principal, supervisor, assistant superintendent, and associate superintendent in the Baltimore County Public Schools. In 1989, Governor William Donald Schaeffer appointed her Special Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families and, in 1991, the Maryland State Board of Education appointed her State Superintendent of Schools.

 

Dr. Grasmick received her doctorate from the Johns Hopkins University, her master's degree from Gallaudet University, and her bachelor's degree from Towson University. Her numerous board and commission appointments include the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, the U.S. Army War College Board of Visitors, the Towson University Board of Visitors, and the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education. In 2005, she was appointed to the National Academies Committee responsible for Rising Above the Gathering Storm, the landmark report on U.S. economic competitiveness.

 

Dr. Grasmick has received numerous awards for her visionary leadership, including the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. In 2007, Loyola College in Maryland awarded Dr. Grasmick its President's Medal in honor of her professional accomplishments and service to the community. She was also named a 2007 Influential Marylander by The Daily Record.

 

Dr. Grasmick is the 2006 recipient of the prestigious Education Commission of the States' James Bryant Conant Award for her outstanding contributions to American education. In 2005, Maryland's education headquarters was renamed the Nancy S. Grasmick State Education Building.

 

In 2004, Dr. Grasmick was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame. She also received the Johns Hopkins Woodrow Wilson Award for Government Service. In 2003, the Education Commission of the States gave Maryland its State Innovation Award for excellence in education policy development. That same year, Dr. Grasmick was inducted into The Daily Record's Circle of Excellence, an honor bestowed only on those named to the newspaper's Top 100 Women list more than three times.

 

In 2001, Dr. Grasmick was presented the Ronald McDonald Foundation's Spirit of Children Award for her advocacy and support of young children.

 

Dr. Grasmick is a frequent guest columnist in such journals as Education Week, Educational Leadership, and School Administrator. Her innovative ideas and proven successes have been featured in such media outlets as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the BBC.