STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

FORMER SUPERINTENDENTS


[photo, Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools] NANCY S. GRASMICK, Ph.D.
State Superintendent of Schools, 1991-2011
Secretary of Juvenile Services, 1991
Special Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families, 1989-95

State Superintendent of Schools, 1991 to June 30, 2011. Retired June 30, 2011. Secretary-Treasurer, State Board of Education, 1991-2011. Member, Governor's Executive Council, 1991-2011. Member, Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs, 1991-2003. Chair, Educational Coordinating Council for Correctional Institutions, 1991-2008; Interagency Committee on School Construction, 1991-2011. Member, Education Coordinating Committee, 1991-2011 (chair, 2000-11); Maryland Education Council, 1991-2011; Interdepartmental Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs, 1991-2011; Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, 1991-2011; Governor's Workforce Investment Board, 1991-2011 (executive committee). Board of Trustees, State Retirement and Pension System, 1991-2011.

Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools, February 2003. Photo by Richard Lippenholz.


Chair, Cabinet Council for Career and Technology Education, 1993-2002. Member, State Information Technology Board, 1993-2004; Commission on Women's Health, 1994-98; Maryland Advisory Council for New Americans, 1994-2008; Maryland Advisory Commission on Manufacturing Competitiveness, 1994-2011; Cabinet Council on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, 1995-2005; Governor's Task Force on Children, Youth, and Families Systems Reform, 1996; Juvenile Justice Advisory Council, 1996-2000; State Advisory Council on Administrative Hearings, 1996-2011; Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability, and Partnerships, 1997-98; Maryland Higher Education Investment Board, 1997-2003; Governor's Pesticide Council, 1997-2003; Task Force on Public Charter Schools, 1998; Task Force on School Construction Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship Programs, 1998-99; Commission on Juvenile Justice Jurisdiction, 1998-2001; Maryland Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families, 1998-2002; Women's Health Promotion Council, 1998-2003; Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism, 1998-2011; Task Force on Drivers' Education Programs in Maryland, 1999; Advisory Board on After-School Opportunity Programs, 1999-2001; Commission on Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence, 1999-2002. Co-Chair, Safe Schools Interagency Steering Committee, 1999-2002; State Child Fatality Review Team, 1999-2011. Member, Task Force to Study College Readiness for Disadvantaged and Capable Students, 2000-01 (chair, college readiness subcommittee, 2000-01); Task Force to Study the Licensing and Monitoring of Community-Based Homes for Children, 2000-01; Judith P. Hoyer Blue Ribbon Commission on the Financing of Early Child Care and Education, 2000-01; Commission on Funding and Services for Gifted and Talented Student Education in Maryland, 2000-01; Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing, 2000-05; State Children's Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council, 2000-11; Visionary Panel for Better Schools, 2001-02; Commission on Responsible Fatherhood, 2001-02; Advisory Council on Offender Employment Coordination, 2001-04; Advisory Board, Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office, 2001-11; President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, 2001-11; Task Force to Study Public School Facilities, 2002-04; Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness, 2002-11; Maryland School-Based Health Policy Advisory Council, 2002-11; Task Force to Study the Availability of Audiology and Speech-Language Services, 2003; Task Force to Study the Mentoring and Monitoring of Children in the Custody of or under the Supervision of the Department of Juvenile Services, 2003-04; Task Force to Study Alternative Living Arrangements for Children in Out-of-Home Placement, 2003-04; College Savings Plans of Maryland Board, 2003-11; State Planning Committee for Higher Education, 2004; Governor's Commission on Quality Education in Maryland, 2004-05 (subcommittee on school readiness & early childhood programs); Interagency Disabilities Board, 2004-11; Maryland State Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, 2004-11. Chair, Coordinating Council for Juvenile Services Educational Programs, 2004-11. Member, Commission to Study Local Maintenance of Effort, 2005-07; Task Force to Implement Holocaust, Genocide, Human Rights and Tolerance Education, 2005-08; Children's Cabinet, 2005-11 (chair, early care & education committee, 2005-08); Southern Regional Education Board, 2005-11; Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy of National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, 2005-11; Mental Health Transformation Working Group, 2005-11. Board of Visitors, Towson University, 2005-11. Member, Task Force to Convene a Summit on Civic Literacy in Maryland, 2006; Maryland Pandemic Influenza Coordinating Committee, 2006; Maryland Child Care Subsidy Coordinating Council, 2006-07; Task Force to Study Raising the Compulsory Public School Attendance Age to 18, 2006-07; Task Force on School Safety, 2006-07; Delinquency Prevention and Diversion Services Task Force, 2006-08; Governor's Family Violence Council (formerly Governor's Council on Family Violence Prevention), 2006-11; State Coordinating Committee for Human Services Transportation, 2006-11; Advisory Council on Workforce Shortage, 2006-11. Chair, Superintendent's Family Involvement Council, 2006-11. Member, Task Force to Study Group-Home Education and Placement Practices, 2007-08; Study Commission to Explore the Expanded Application of State Stipends for National Certification of Teachers, 2007-08; Truancy Court Work Group, 2007-08; Instructional Materials Access Guidelines Committee, 2007-10; Base Realignment and Closure Subcabinet, 2007-11; Climate Change Commission, 2007-11; Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs, 2007-11; P-20 Leadership Council of Maryland, 2007-11 (executive committee, 2007-11; science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) task force, 2008-09; co-chair, college success task force, 2009-10). Co-Chair, Workforce Creation and Adult Education Transition Council, 2008. Member, Task Force on the Preservation of Heritage Language Skills in Maryland, 2008-09; Task Force on Educational Issues Affecting Military Children, 2008-09; Task Force to Study Issues Related to Students Subject to Multiple Suspensions, 2008-09; Task Force to Study the Procurement of Health and Social Services by State Agencies, 2008-10. Chair, State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, 2008-11. Co-Chair, Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, 2008-11. Member, Education and Workforce Training Coordinating Council for Correctional Institutions, 2008-11; Maryland Commission on Autism, 2009-11; Maryland Integrated Map Executive Committee, 2009-11; Task Force on Prisoner Re-entry, 2009-11; Maryland Commission on Suicide Prevention, 2009-11. Board of Directors, Maryland Workforce Corporation, 2009-11. Member, Education and Curriculum Advisory Committee of Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, 2010-11; Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center Governing Board, 2010-11; Task Force to Study the Procurement of Health, Education, and Social Services by State Agencies, 2010-11; Task Force to Explore the Incorporation of the Principles of Universal Design for Learning into the Education Systems in Maryland, 2010-11; Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission, 2010-11; Task Force to Study High School Dropout Rates of Persons in the Criminal Justice System, 2011; Task Force to Study the Creation of a Maryland Center for School Safety, 2011.

Chair, Commission to Study the County Board of Education, Howard County, 2011. Board of Directors, Maryland School for the Blind, 2011-. Presidential Scholar for Innovation in Teacher and Leader Education, Towson University, 2012-. Co-Director, Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 2013-. Chair, Board of Directors, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 2018- (vice-chair, 2014-18; board member, 2011-14).

Member, Broadening Actions and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Advisory Board, 2016-.

Assistant Superintendent, 1978-85, and Associate Superintendent, 1985-89, Baltimore County Public Schools.

Special Secretary for Children, Youth, and Families, 1989-95. Member, Subcabinet for Children, Youth, and Families, 1989-2005 (chair, early care & education committee, 2003-05); Governor's Council on Adolescent Pregnancy, 1990-2005; State Coordinating Council (for residential placement of handicapped children), 1990-2002.

Secretary of Juvenile Services, 1991.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, 1939. Attended Western High School, Baltimore, Maryland; Maryland State Teachers College at Towson, B.S. (elementary education), 1961; Gallaudet University, M.S. (deaf education), 1965; The Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D. (communicative sciences), 1979. Teacher, William S. Baer School, Baltimore, 1961-64. Teacher & administrator, Baltimore County Public Schools, 1964-89. Principal, Chatsworth School, 1974-78. Professional Advisory Board, Metropolitan Baltimore Association of Learning Disabled Children. President, Child Care Foundation. Chair, Advisory Council, The Johns Hopkins University School of Continuing Studies. Phi Delta Kappa, The Johns Hopkins University. Board of Directors, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Executive Board, Maryland Women's Heritage Center. Member, Maryland's Business Roundtable. Board of Visitors, U.S. Army War College, 2003-. Executive Committee, Cool Kids Campaign, 2014-. Board of Directors, National Aquarium, 2014-. Humanitarian Award, March of Dimes, 1990. National Educational Administrator of the Year Award, 1992. Vernon E. Anderson Distinguished Lecture Award, University of Maryland, 1992. Distinguished Alumna of the Year, The Johns Hopkins University, 1992. Educator of the Year, American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES), 1996. Award for Professional Excellence in the Advancement of Public Understanding of the Law, Maryland Bar Foundation, 1996. Maryland's Top 100 Women, Daily Record, 1996, 1998, 2000, and Circle of Excellence Award, 2000. Marylander of the Year, Baltimore Sun, 1997. Speaker's Award and Medallion, House of Delegates, 1999. Named one of Baltimore's most influential people, Baltimore Business Journal, June 1999. President's Award, National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Children, 2000. Engineering Education Leadership Award, Engineering Society of Baltimore, 2000. Harold W. McGraw, Jr., Prize in Education, McGraw-Hill Companies, 2000. Outstanding Advocate Award, National Association of School Psychologists, 2000. President's Award, Council of Educational Administrative & Supervisory Organizations of Maryland, 2000. Community Service Award, Maryland State Conference of the NAACP, 2001. Spirit of Children Award, Baltimore Ronald McDonald House Foundation, 2001. Louis V. Koerber Award, the National Flag Day Foundation, Inc., 2001. Sonya Award, Carson Scholars Fund, 2002. Spirit of Public Relations Award, Maryland Chapter, Public Relations Society of America, 2002. Breath of Life Award, American Lung Association of Maryland, 2003. John R. Calvetti Memorial Award, Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware & District of Columbia, 2003. Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service, The Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association, 2004. Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, 2004. Innovator of the Year, Daily Record, 2004, 2005. Outstanding Achievement Award, Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, 2005. Leadership Award, Maryland Assembly on School-Based Health Care, 2006. Joan S. Korenman Award, Center for Women and Information Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 2006. Distinguished Alumni Award, Towson University, 2006. James Bryant Conant Award, Education Commission of the States, 2006. Influential Marylanders, Daily Record, 2007, 2009, 2011 (Circle of Influence). President's Medal, Loyola College in Maryland, 2007. International Leadership Award, Civitas: The Institute for a Civil Society, 2008. Life Achievement Award, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), 2008. Presidential Citation, National Association of School Resource Officers, 2009. Innovator of the Year, Daily Record, 2009, 2014. Lifetime Achievement Award, Education Committee, Maryland State Conference, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 2009. Doctor of Humane Letters: St. Mary's College of Maryland; Towson State University; Goucher College; University of Baltimore; Villa Julie College. William U. Harris Award of Excellence, College Board, 2010. Honorary Doctor of Public Service, Washington College, 2011. Public Service Award, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, 2011. Beacon of Light Award, Baltimore Teacher Network, 2016. Torchbearer Award, Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, 2016. Trailblazers in Education Award, Women in Business, The Center Club, 2017. Icon Honors, Daily Record, 2017.


The State Education Building at 200 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland, was named for Dr. Grasmick in 2005.

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