John Matthews
WMAL.com
ROCKVILLE — (WMAL) Monday is not only the first day of classes for students in Montgomery County, it’s also the first day of school for new superintendent Dr. Jack Smith.
Smith, who was previously Maryland’s interim State Superintendent of Schools, began his job in Montgomery on July First. He says he’s always been a big fan of the first day of school.
“The idea that kids will be pouring back into our schools full of anticipation and excitement about learning and about being there and seeing their friends and being together,” Smith told myMCMedia.
“As adults, we need to create excitement with them about that’s ahead.”
Smith plans to start the day at the county bus depot, where he’ll ride a bus route and experience going to school just like the kids.
“I’ll experience school as they do, getting off at one of the middle schools, and then hang out for a little bit, visiting with parents as they drop off their children,” he says.
Smith says reading writing and arithmetic are at the center of the county’s mission.
“The core of our work is student learning,” he says. “In addition to that, we need to make sure that as they move through their progression of school that they’re ready for the next level of education.”
In a system where the school population is booming, Smith says it’s vitally important to continue to support students who are doing excellent work, while encouraging those who need additional help to succeed.
“We need to make sure that our students who are struggling, or who for whatever reason are not getting a level of learning that they need in life, we need to raise that. And that’s equity,” says Smith.
More than 159,000 students are expected to attend classes in Montgomery County Monday, an increase of some 2,600 students over last school year. Montgomery is also welcoming some 1,100 new students.
Montgomery, Maryland’s largest school district, is far from the only local jurisdiction seeing a boom in school population. Classes also begin Monday in Loudoun County, which is expecting 2,000 new students and over 700 new employees.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: Montgomery County Public Schools Twitter)
