Carroll County Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Guthrie
was named Maryland Superintendent of the Year 10/30/2014
Carroll County Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Guthrie
was named Maryland Superintendent of the Year by the Public School
Superintendents’ Association of Maryland on Thursday, October 30, 2014. The
selection of the Superintendent of the Year was made by a committee of his
peers. The announcement was made at the annual Maryland Negotiation Service
Awards Banquet held in Ocean City, Maryland.
Guthrie is currently serving in his fifth year as
Superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools. He was appointed to a
four-year term beginning July 1, 2010 and was reappointed to a second four-year
term beginning July 1, 2014.
In a letter of support for the nomination, the members of
the Board of Education of Carroll County stated that Guthrie never wavers in
his leadership and advocacy for students and schools. Furthermore, the Board
commended Guthrie for his ability to lead the school system through challenging
economic times while always putting students first and striving to preserve the
classroom learning environment. The Board also recognized Guthrie’s
efforts to develop a five-year organizational plan, Vision 2018: Focus
on Excellence, for system improvement.
According to Board president Virginia Harrison, “We are
proud of our school system, which reflects Mr. Guthrie’s leadership as
Superintendent of Schools. He earns the respect and confidence of staff,
elected officials, and community leaders through his diligence, dedication, and
trustworthiness.”
Jean Lewis, President of the Carroll County Maryland NAACP,
in her nomination cited Guthrie for working closely with the organization and
community leaders from the start of his tenure. As a result of that outreach,
Carroll County and the school system have made great progress on many important
issues and have established a solid foundation for continued improvement.
Lewis also recognized Guthrie for placing a strong focus on
the achievement gap, recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce, and
building cultural proficiency. “In Superintendent Guthrie, we have found a true
partner who is concerned about the social and educational development of all
children in our community. He is a dedicated and devoted public servant who
cares about our community and is a man of integrity who honors his word.”
Guthrie holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education,
Social Studies from Lock Haven University, a Master of Science in Education
from McDaniel College, and a Master of Business Administration from Frostburg
University.
Guthrie began his career in 1978 as a classroom social
studies teacher in California. In 1981, he taught for one year in Pennsylvania
before coming to Carroll County, where he was a teacher and later a school
counselor. Prior to his current position as Superintendent, Guthrie also served
as Director of Human Resources and Assistant Superintendent of Administration
for Carroll County Public Schools.
Throughout his career, Guthrie has been engaged in multiple
approaches to education through leadership activities, teaching at the higher
education level, and authoring professional articles related to public school
education.
Guthrie currently serves as the President of the Public
School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland. He is the first Carroll
County superintendent to hold this office.
Other professional memberships include the Professional
Standards for Teachers Education Board, for which he served as Parliamentarian,
and the Local Management Board. He also is a member of the Governor’s PK-20
Council. In addition, Guthrie served as Regional Director of the Maryland
Negotiation Service and Section Director for the Association of School Business
Officials. In addition to these memberships, Guthrie has served on multiple
community-based organizations, including the Carroll County Community Media
Center and Carroll County Rape Crisis Intervention Services, both of which he
served as Vice-President.
Guthrie was employed for ten years in the education
department of McDaniel College where he held the title of Adjunct Instructor
and was later promoted to Visiting Professor. He also worked as an evening
counselor for five years at Carroll Community College where he taught several
courses and served as a Guest Lecturer at Stevenson University.
Throughout his career, Guthrie has authored and co-authored
many professional articles on various topics related to public school education
and has served on countless task forces and committees both in Carroll County
and in Maryland. He also has been a frequent speaker at statewide and
national conferences on education issues.
In his application for this prestigious award, Guthrie
placed an emphasis on the process to establish the Vision 2018 organizational
plan to define priorities and guide the operations of the school system for the
next five years. He is particularly proud of the fact that the plan was based
on input from all segments of the community and that it reflects the
community’s commitment to education and the school system.
Upon accepting the award, Guthrie said, “I am thrilled to be
selected among my fellow superintendents as Superintendent of the Year.
Although I am the person accepting this award, it is truly a reflection of the
efforts and commitment of the students and staff of Carroll County Public Schools
and the support of a community that values our school system.”
As Maryland Superintendent of the Year, Guthrie will
represent Maryland in the 2015 National Superintendent of the Year program,
which is coordinated by the American Association of School Administrators.
