Howard Schools Veteran Voted Anne Arundel Interim Superintendent

By Patch Editor D. Frank Smith

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has a new leader in Mamie Perkins, a veteran educator from Howard County, the school board announced on Tuesday.

Perkins, the former deputy superintendent of Howard County Schools before she retired in 2012, was named Tuesday during a special session of the school board as the new interim superintendent of schools. She signed an 11-month contract, and the board must select a long-term replacement by July 2014. Perkins will be paid $197,087.

Anne Arundel superintendent Kevin Maxwell announced his intent to leave the school system earlier this month, for a post in Prince George's County beginning Aug. 1.

Perkins said she was excited to join "the family at Anne Arundel." She said her intent is to carry the school system forward, and prepare to open schools again in the fall.

"It's not as if I'm coming in asking everyone to start over," Perkins said at the school board meeting. "I'm coming in asking to catch up."

Perkins spent 26 years as a teacher and coordinator in Howard County, and held the spot of interim superintendent for a brief period.

"Our Board is confident that she will work with the dedicated team we have in place to continue the upward trajectory our school system has been on over the last seven years," said Board President Teresa Milio Birge, in a press release. 

Perkins is also the second woman from Howard County to change the face of leadership in Anne Arundel County.

In February, Laura Neuman was selected as county executive, finishing the term of retired John Leopold. Neuman was the former CEO of the Howard County Economic Development Authority.