The 11 members of Baltimore County’s school board have promoted a top administrator in the school system to fill Dallas Dance’s shoes for at least the next year.
Last night, the county school board approved Verletta White, BCPS’ chief academic officer, to be interim superintendent. She’ll step into her new role at the end of June after Dance officially resigns.
A board member told Baltimore Fishbowl last month that he and his colleagues would likely need to find a temporary replacement for Dance, who abruptly announced he’d be quitting after serving as superintendent for the last five years. He’s currently about to finish the first year of a four-year contract with a $287,000 yearly salary.
“I want to thank each and every person who has worked and supported us as we’ve strengthened incredible learning environments for each child in every school,” Dance said in a statement on April 18. “I know the best days for Team BCPS are ahead, and I will always be one of its biggest cheerleaders.”
White has served under Dance since 2013, according to the Center for Digital Education. She started off as a teacher in Baltimore City Schools in 1992 after graduating from Towson University. She took a teaching job in Baltimore County three years later, became a school-based administrator within the school system in 1998 and has since risen through the ranks. She’s served in roles ranging from principal to assistant superintendent.
Dance appointed White to be his chief academic officer not long after he became the leader of the school system. She’s supported his changes to the school system, including the introduction of foreign language classes for elementary schoolers and grading policy changes for homework and student behavior that took effect this past school year.
White holds a master’s degree in leadership in teaching from the College of Notre Dame in Maryland and is presently a doctoral candidate in the urban educational leadership program at Morgan State University.
According to the Sun, school board members said they supported her appointment last night, though at least one complained that the decision to pick her was secretive.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz backed her promotion, saying in a statement, “The Board of Education made a wise choice selecting Chief Academic Officer Verletta White, who has 25 years of experience in the County school system, and will ensure continuation of our legacy of success.”
Dance said in his April announcement that he had gotten some job offers, but hadn’t accepted any of them. Unsurprisingly, he also backed the school’s decision to appoint White as his replacement.
Elated that @VerlettaWhite has been named the interim superintendent of @BaltCoPS – outstanding choice! #TeamBCPS pic.twitter.com/IjXqhR3Nkr
— S. Dallas Dance (@S_Dallas_Dance) May 23, 2017
