New Superintendent Named For Harford County Public Schools

BEL AIR, MD — Harford County Public Schools has appointed its new superintendent. Sean Bulson, Ed.D., accepted the job as leader of the school system at the Harford County Board of Education's business meeting Monday evening.

The vote to appoint Bulson as the new superintendent was unanimous.

Immediately after the board issued its decision, Bulson signed his contract. His annual salary will be $207,500, and he must establish residency in Harford County by Aug. 20, according to a statement from school system.

As the superintendent of Harford County Public Schools, Bulson will serve a four-year term beginning July 1.

He started his career in Maryland at Montgomery County Public Schools, where he worked for 16 years.

In Montgomery County, he started out as a teacher of English for Speakers of Other Languages. He moved on to become principal of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and director of school performance. Finally, he became community superintendent; in that role, he supervised 36 schools with a total of about 24,000 students.

Next he took a job as the superintendent of Wilson County Schools in North Carolina, where he oversaw a district of 12,000 students and 25 schools and helped develop a strategic plan to improve accountability and transparency. He also enlisted the help of local businesses and the local community college to open a school to help prepare high school students for careers in manufacturing and applied technology.

Before coming to Harford County, Bulson had been the interim vice president for the division of university and secondary school partnerships at the University of North Carolina System, where he focused on preparing educators and supporting schools and school districts, according to Harford County Public Schools officials. He had worked there since 2016.

Bulson has a doctoral degree in leadership from George Washington University, a master's degree in English for Speakers of Other Languages instruction from Marymount University and a bachelor's degree in international relations from American University.

While some school board members mentioned there was much work to be done in Harford County, Bulson said: "...the arrows are pointing in the right direction," adding: "This community is very clearly engaged and involved."

Over the next few months, Bulson said a "critical part" of his work would be getting to know the community.

"I know we will have a lot to talk about," Bulson said. He said he looked forward to building on the "great work" already done and addressing the "challenges that continue to exist."

Specific areas where he said he saw a need for improvement include career preparation, equity, safety and partnerships. He said his first steps will be addressing immediate needs of the district and starting to create a plan for its future, ensuring when students return Sept. 4 the district will be organized, safe and energetic.

He anticipates he will have gone on a "listening and learning tour" and created a summary with strengths, opportunities and recommendations for the future by early fall, according to Harford County Public Schools.

• Harford County Superintendent Search: 2 Candidates Remain
• Harford County Superintendent Announces Retirement

Bulson will take over after the current superintendent retires following a five-year term.

In January, Superintendent Barbara Canavan announced that she would be retiring as of July 1, 2018. She has been the superintendent of Harford County Public Schools since 2013. Canavan has served Harford County Public Schools for more than 40 years, where she began working in 1973.

Many board members lauded Canavan for her service at Monday night's school board meeting.

"...I would like to thank Superintendent Barbara Canavan not only for her dedication and work as superintendent,but for the 40 plus years she has devoted to tirelessly serving the families and students of Harford County Public Schools," Harford County Board of Education President Joseph L. Voskuhl said in a statement.

Added Voskuhl: "We spent many hours discussing the feedback we received from the students, staff, and community and feel that Dr. Bulson is the right choice for Harford County Public Schools."

After learning that Canavan would be retiring, the Harford County school board contracted the Maryland Association of Boards of Education in February to help with the superintendent search. They collaborated to develop criteria for the incoming superintendent, held two rounds of interviews with the school board, a tour of the county and schools and input sessions with community members.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Still from Harford County Board of Education live stream of the June 11 meeting. File photo of Sean Bulson courtesy of Harford County Public Schools.