Superintendent of Maryland Schools Resigns

The head of Maryland schools is stepping down, officials announced Friday.

Lillian Lowery, Ed.D., has been the Maryland state superintendent of schools since July 1, 2012.

Lowery submitted her resignation Friday and will become president/CEO of FutureReady, an educational nonprofit in Columbus, Ohio, the Maryland State Department of Education reported. Her position was to last until June 30, 2016.

For the remainder of her term, Jack Smith will serve as interim superintendent, the department said in a statement, noting Smith was her deputy and previously the superintendent of public schools in Calvert County.

Related: State Names New Superintendent of Schools

Lowery will begin her new position in Ohio on Sept. 14, the statement said.

“We are delighted to have someone of Dr. Lowery’s caliber and national reputation join us in Columbus to help us prepare our kids for success in school and in life,” Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman said in a statement.

The mayor is co-chair of FutureReady, organization that focuses on early childhood education, public policy and community engagement in Columbus, Ohio.

During her time as superintendent in Maryland, Lowery has been recognized for several accomplishments, according to education officials, including expanding early childhood education, developing work readiness programs, increasing the number of graduates and decreasing dropout rates.

“We are losing an extraordinary leader, a talented state superintendent of schools,” Maryland State Board of Education President Guffrie Smith said. “Dr. Lowery led Maryland through a time of tremendous transition and progress. She positioned our state as a national leader in preparing students to be college and career ready.”

In June she was named the Policy Leader of the Year by the National Association of State Boards of Education.

She was lauded for her “calm, respectful and persuasive leadership style” that led to “unprecedented progress and change in Maryland,” former Maryland State Board President Mary Kay Finan, who nominated Dr. Lowery, said in a statement.

Photo Credit: Maryland Department of Education.