Former Harford public schools' executive of curriculum Susan Brown named superintendent of Smyrna School District

Tony Roberts, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
·3 min read

Jul. 19—Susan P. Brown, who was the executive director for curriculum, instruction and assessment for the Harford County Public Schools, has been named superintendent of the Smyrna, Delaware, school district, the Smyrna School Board of Education announced at its meeting on June 23. She started the role on Monday.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Brown to the Smyrna School District," said Board Member Charlie Wilson. "We recognize her extensive record of leadership in education and are excited about the path of our district going forward."

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Brown has over 30 years of experience in public education and served as the top instructional leader for the Harford County school system since 2013, leading a team professionals in the areas of curriculum and assessment, instructional pedagogy, professional learning and school performance, and achievement initiatives.

"We are proud of the work Dr. Brown accomplished during her 30-year tenure with HCPS and are especially grateful for the countless hours and superior instructional leadership she provided our district, serving as our expert for curriculum and assessment matters, professional learning, and school performance and achievements for the past nine years," said Superintendent Sean Bulson. "Her dedication to the success of our school system was unwavering."

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As the coordinating member of the executive leadership team, she facilitated team meetings for all key instructional decisions, and she regularly participated in supervisory school visits to support the effective operations of our schools, Bulson said.

Most notably, Brown mobilized and led their entire instructional team through the most challenging time in education, navigating the unchartered waters of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the development and implementation of virtual and blended learning environments, Bulson said.

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"Because of Dr. Brown's efforts, HCPS now boasts a completely updated curriculum that her team reworked to address the new realities of public education, and in addition, 40-week Instructional Pacing Guides in all major content areas with a clear focus on being more inclusive and diverse," Bulson said. "While leading that effort, her office also planned and delivered innovative summer offerings for students and worked with a multitude of district stakeholders to design training to ensure our teachers were as prepared as possible to address the uncertainty of schooling during pandemic. There is no doubt that Dr. Brown leaves behind a legacy of accomplishments with HCPS as she moves on in her career."

Brown held a variety of classroom and leadership positions during her tenure with HCPS, including middle school mathematics teacher and department chairperson, teacher mentor and coordinator of intervention.

In May 2021, Brown completed the aspiring superintendent academy through the school superintendents association. She is an adjunct instructor for Notre Dame of Maryland University, teaching graduate-level coursework for aspiring administrators.

Brown holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership and innovation from Wilmington University, a master's in administration and supervision from Loyola University, a bachelor's in elementary education from Towson University and an associate's in general studies from Harford Community College.

"It is an incredible honor and privilege to be selected as the next superintendent for the Smyrna School District," Brown said.

The national search to select the new executive director of curriculum, instruction and assessment has started, with the official job description posting earlier this month. HCPS is accepting applications for this vacancy until filled; however, they will begin to consider candidates early next week.

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"Our hiring process will be a rigorous and thorough one to ensure we select the best match for our district to continue to move us forward," Bulson said. " It is our intention to have that person in place by the start of the 2022-23 school year."