The pandemic has been a catastrophe for Maryland schoolchildren. Now, we need imagination, reforms and, yes, money, to make our schools more efficient, flexible and fair. Based on Liz Bowie’s report, it looks like we’ve found the guy. Mohammed Choudhury of San Antonio is the new captain, if not the admiral of the entire educational fleet. Welcome aboard, he sounds like my kind of guy (“Maryland’s new state superintendent reshaped San Antonio schools. Now he’s ready to lead a $4 billion overhaul here,” July 1).
I haven’t felt so positive about the direction of our public schools in decades, and I hope our leaders, and especially the teachers’ unions, will work alongside Mr. Choudhury. He may have “no knowledge of Maryland,” but that’s a plus.
I’m impressed by his concept of placing highly desirable curricula in impoverished districts. Two of my grandchildren attended a dual language public school in Montgomery County and thrived. The three languages offered were French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Admittance was by lottery, and the response was overwhelming.
Mohammed Choudhury must reach out to parents and the community. No matter how attractive a school becomes, if parents are not actively involved, the concepts will fail from lack of enthusiasm. That would be a shame. Let’s welcome Mr. Choudhury and embrace his ideas. We certainly need someone who thinks outside the box!
Rosalind Nester Heid, Baltimore
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