Nancy Grasmick

William Donald Schaefer can take credit for many accomplishments during his years of public service as both mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland. However, his greatest legacy as governor, without question, was the appointment of State Superintendant of Schools, Nancy Grasmick. In last week's articles about Ms. Grasmick's pending retirement, little was said about Mr. Schaefer's influence on the Maryland State Board of Education's decision to hire her in 1991. I served on the board then.

An outsider with experience in leading a neighboring state through sometimes-unpopular reforms will become the next Maryland superintendent of schools, the state school board announced Friday. Delaware Secretary of Education Lillian M. Lowery, a 57-year-old with more than 35 years of teaching and administrative experience in several states, will take over July 1 as Maryland's schools enter a year of transition. "We think we have gotten the best person that could have taken this job. She has a long track record of success on all the important education issues," said school board President James DeGraffenreidt.

The announcement that Maryland schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick will retire in June after 20 years on the job marks a watershed for public education in the state, whose history could fairly be divided into two eras — before and after Ms. Grasmick. Her extraordinary leadership raised the bar on what was possible for schools across the state and won Maryland national recognition as an education powerhouse. She's been called "the heart and soul" of Maryland schools. Whoever succeeds her will have big shoes to fill.

With the Baltimore City Schools continually operating in the red, I find it outrageous that CEO Andrés Alonso's chauffeur managed to make $154,000 last year, $78,000 of it in overtime! First of all, if our former state schools superintendent, Nancy Grasmick, didn't have a driver, why does Mr. Alonso require one? This chauffeur has the best deal going, but let's face it, his compensation package needs to be re-negotiated. The fact that the city schools allowed this to go on and City Hall claims to not know about it shows how rampant the corruption is in these two systems.

Today1 p.m. House convenes, State House.1 p.m. Senate Budget and Taxation Committee's capital budget subcommittee meets, Room 100, Senate Office Building.2 p.m. House Appropriations Committee holds voting session, Room 130, House Office Building.5 p.m. Gov. William Donald Schaefer attends swearing-in VTC ceremony for Nancy Grasmick, new secretary of juvenile services, State House.8 p.m. Senate convenes and House reconvenes, State House.There are eight days remaining in the 1991 General Assembly session.

News of Nancy Grasmick's retirement as state schools superintendent gives double emotion to many of us: happiness for her but sadness for Marylanders — including students, parents and teachers — who have benefitted from her leadership . Nancy has combined sensitivity and strength in her work. I have seen both. Sensitivity in her spending several hours talking with and encouraging homeless children who receive daily help at the "ARK" program of Episcopal Community Services of Maryland (ECSM)

Your reporters did a fine job in discussing Nancy Grasmick's productive career and sterling performance as state superintendent of schools ("Grasmick announces she'll retire in June," March 31). The accolades were earned and well-deserved. I do, however, wish to speak to one glaring omission, namely, Ms. Grasmick's outstanding service in the Baltimore County Public Schools. We are very proud that she served the BCPS in superb fashion as principal, area assistant superintendent, as assistant superintendent in instruction and associate superintendent of administration.

"Dr. Grasmick has been an extraordinary partner in the work of Baltimore City Public Schools. Much of the credit for the progress in our schools needs to be given to her for her willingness to, at every turn, embrace innovation and push for accountability. " Baltimore City schools CEO Andrés Alonso "She's about the overall business of good schooling; she has modeled that expectation year in and year out. That leadership style … has really been a model for other states.

Heart-healthy cuisine and the appearance of two celebrities were among the highlights at the ninth annual Heartfest for the benefit of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.Actress/choreographer Debbie Allen and Earl Woods, father of PGA phenom Tiger Woods, joined the more than 1,400 guests at the Martin's West event. Both are spokespeople for heart-disease prevention. As for the heart-healthy gourmet fare, it was the contribution of more than 20 area restaurants.

Like so many other articles in recent months, Nancy Grasmick's opinion piece that appeared in The Sun on March 14 emphasized the most recent buzz term in education, STEM ( "Maryland: The state of science" . Her statement, "Our nation has ignored science and math education for far too long," rang painfully true to me as a parent. When my daughter entered the Baltimore County school system as a kindergartner in 2006, at what was touted as one of the county's top schools, complete with excellent Maryland standardized test scores, I expected something more academically.

The coming months will be very telling when it comes to the direction Harford County Public Schools will be taking in the future. The first three elected members of a board of education, recently expanded from seven to nine members, have been seated, and the appointed members of the board appear to have been chosen with a political eye toward having people in office who can face the voters when the time comes. And there's the matter of Nancy Grasmick retiring this year as State Superintendent of Schools after about two decades in that office.

Nancy Grasmick will retire in June. The accolades pouring in upon her announcement formed an instant hagiography of the woman who for 20 years has led Maryland's public schools. "Dr. Grasmick leaves a luminous legacy and because of her vision, every student in the state will have an opportunity to achieve academic success," wrote Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, in a statement typical of those about her. The swelling tide of students who graduate from state public high schools without basic reading or math skills should halt her beatification and shatter the myth of the state's unparalleled public schools, however.

News of Nancy Grasmick's retirement as state schools superintendent gives double emotion to many of us: happiness for her but sadness for Marylanders — including students, parents and teachers — who have benefitted from her leadership . Nancy has combined sensitivity and strength in her work. I have seen both. Sensitivity in her spending several hours talking with and encouraging homeless children who receive daily help at the "ARK" program of Episcopal Community Services of Maryland (ECSM)

Your reporters did a fine job in discussing Nancy Grasmick's productive career and sterling performance as state superintendent of schools ("Grasmick announces she'll retire in June," March 31). The accolades were earned and well-deserved. I do, however, wish to speak to one glaring omission, namely, Ms. Grasmick's outstanding service in the Baltimore County Public Schools. We are very proud that she served the BCPS in superb fashion as principal, area assistant superintendent, as assistant superintendent in instruction and associate superintendent of administration.

William Donald Schaefer can take credit for many accomplishments during his years of public service as both mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland. However, his greatest legacy as governor, without question, was the appointment of State Superintendant of Schools, Nancy Grasmick. In last week's articles about Ms. Grasmick's pending retirement, little was said about Mr. Schaefer's influence on the Maryland State Board of Education's decision to hire her in 1991. I served on the board then.

The announcement that Maryland schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick will retire in June after 20 years on the job marks a watershed for public education in the state, whose history could fairly be divided into two eras — before and after Ms. Grasmick. Her extraordinary leadership raised the bar on what was possible for schools across the state and won Maryland national recognition as an education powerhouse. She's been called "the heart and soul" of Maryland schools. Whoever succeeds her will have big shoes to fill.

With the Baltimore City Schools continually operating in the red, I find it outrageous that CEO Andrés Alonso's chauffeur managed to make $154,000 last year, $78,000 of it in overtime! First of all, if our former state schools superintendent, Nancy Grasmick, didn't have a driver, why does Mr. Alonso require one? This chauffeur has the best deal going, but let's face it, his compensation package needs to be re-negotiated. The fact that the city schools allowed this to go on and City Hall claims to not know about it shows how rampant the corruption is in these two systems.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said yesterday that he would "proudly" veto a bill passed by the General Assembly that imposes a moratorium on a state takeover of city schools, but Mayor Martin O'Malley and city lawmakers insisted that they had the votes to overturn the governor's decision. The governor said yesterday that federal education funds would be jeopardized if the state does not act promptly to find new management for 11 failing Baltimore middle and high schools. The state school board, at the recommendation of Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick, approved the takeover last week, believed to be the first of its kind under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Many city lawmakers said the state action was heavy-handed and done without communicating with Baltimore leaders, and smacked of election-year politics.

"Dr. Grasmick has been an extraordinary partner in the work of Baltimore City Public Schools. Much of the credit for the progress in our schools needs to be given to her for her willingness to, at every turn, embrace innovation and push for accountability. " Baltimore City schools CEO Andrés Alonso "She's about the overall business of good schooling; she has modeled that expectation year in and year out. That leadership style … has really been a model for other states.

Updated with Liz Bowie report from school headquarters: Maryland schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick is stepping down from her post as the nation's longest-serving state education chief. Grasmick, 72, announced her retirement this afternoon to a large gathering of workers at the state Department of Education office that bears her name. She'll step down June 30. "I have made a very tough decision to leave," she said. She highlighted the state's accomplishments on its Advanced Placement performance, its preparation for kindergartners and its successful Race to the Top application.