Communications Archive

June 13, 2023: Community Letter from the MSD Board of Trustees

Dear MSD Community:

As the President of the Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) Board of Trustees, I am writing to reaffirm our commitment for open and transparent communication with the community. The Board of Trustees is firmly committed and dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion at MSD.

Approximately three years ago, we made an official announcement regarding our partnership with Idaltu Counseling and Consulting, an independent consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion. This was in line with MSD's commitment to identifying any existing systemic racism and subsequently dismantling it through appropriate measures. We engaged the services of Idaltu to provide guidance and support to the MSD Board of Trustees and the school's interim leadership in resolving inequity wherever it may be found at MSD.

Idaltu was tasked with conducting an impartial and independent equity and inclusion assessment at MSD. The main objective of this audit was to formulate a comprehensive plan aimed at implementing systemic changes within our school community by addressing any racism, implicit biases, and microaggressions that may be present in our policies, practices, and processes.

A summary report was presented to the board, outlining Idaltu's preliminary observations and findings. Additionally, Idaltu conducted several Focus Groups with MSD staff. The consulting firm also commenced the development of a climate survey and shared these questions with the board. However, after several delays, it became clear to the Board that the collaboration with Idaltu Counseling and Consulting did not meet our expectations, leading to the decision to end our relationship and terminate our contract with the independent firm.

We acknowledge that the decision to end our partnership with Idaltu Counseling and Consulting may feel like a setback to the progress we have made. Please be assured that this action is no reflection of MSD's commitment and dedication to this important work. The MSD Board of Trustees, along with Superintendent John A. Serrano and the leadership team, are firmly resolute in our commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive environment for everyone at MSD. This work will continue.

Moving forward, Superintendent John A. Serrano will lead this important initiative. He will report directly to the MSD Board of Trustees and communicate with the community and its stakeholders concerning the school's anti-racism efforts.

As we strive towards a more equitable and inclusive future for MSD, we are grateful for your continued support. The superintendent will provide further updates regarding the school's next action steps in the near future.

Thank you.

Corey Burton

MSD Board Chair

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Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

en español | Contrato de la compañía de de asesoramiento y consultoría Idaltu

January 9, 2023: MSD Announces 12th Superintendent

Dear MSD Community:

After an extensive nationwide search, the Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Mr. John A. Serrano will serve as the school's 12th superintendent. Mr. Serrano, who identifies as Latinx, will be the first person of color to lead MSD in its 155-year history.

"We are thrilled and honored that Mr. John A. Serrano has accepted our invitation to assume leadership of MSD and serve as the next superintendent. John impressed the search committee, the MSD community, and the Board of Trustees with his passion for quality education for all Deaf students and the tenets of MSD's mission and values," said Corey Burton, president of MSD's Board of Trustees. "As an experienced K-12 educator and administrator, he has demonstrated a commitment to leading and serving students, families, and employees with equity, inclusivity, and collaboration. These qualifications, along with an enthusiastic-energy and impressive track record of leadership and achievement, make John the ideal leader for MSD."

Mr. Serrano's appointment was ratified by a vote of the MSD Board of Trustees at a special meeting held on the Columbia Campus on January 9, 2023. He will officially begin his superintendency on January 25, 2023.

"It is a tremendous honor to be selected as the next Superintendent of MSD," said Mr. Serrano. "Words cannot adequately describe how excited and eager I am to be a part of this great school, and I look forward to working together with faculty, staff, families and community members to serve the students and to prepare for future generations to come. As excited as I am, I look forward to beginning a new chapter with MSD. I am committed to hitting the ground running and getting started with the great work MSD has been doing to bring the school forward to support this year's school theme of belonging and becoming. Lastly but not least, let me proudly state this for the first time: Go Orioles!"

Mr. Serrano brings extensive experience working in the field of K-12 Deaf education, including 13 years of administrative and management experience. He began his K-12 education at the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) as an elementary school teacher, teaching grades 3 through 5. Over the course of his 13 years with TSD, Mr. Serrano advanced through various administrative leadership roles, serving as a program supervisor, assistant principal and principal of the High School, and director of Academic Affairs. Prior to assuming his current role as executive director of Undergraduate Admissions at Gallaudet University, Mr. Serrano served for four-years as the school-level superintendent of the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD), a day school serving over 150 Deaf/DHH students in the metropolitan Atlanta area.

Mr. Serrano graduated from American School for the Deaf (ASD) in Connecticut and attended Gallaudet University for his undergraduate and graduate studies, where he majored in Elementary Education and Deaf Education. He holds the following certifications from the state of Maryland: Elementary Education (1-6), Deaf and Hard of Hearing Pre-K-12, Administrator I-Supervisor and Assistant Principal, and Area Superintendent I/II. Mr. Serrano serves as a governing board member for both the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) and the American School for the Deaf. John resides in Montgomery County, Maryland with his wife, Melly, and three children, Natalia (14), AJ (13), and Matthew (6).

"While the search for a new superintendent was a protracted process, MSD has been extremely fortunate to have a stellar team of staff that have taken on additional responsibilities to ensure that the school continued to serve and support MSD students and their families without disruption, as well as successfully completed or made noteworthy progress on critical initiatives. I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to convey the Board's sincere appreciation to them here," shared Mr. Burton. "I especially wish to thank Ann Miller, Jennifer Yost Ortiz, and Kevin Strachan for their period of service as interim superintendent over the last three years."

The Maryland School for the Deaf Board of Trustees also extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to Trustees Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker, co-chairs, and the members of the Superintendent Search Committee for their hard work and dedicated service. Additionally, the Board thanks executive search firm, Innivee Strategies, Inc., for their guidance and assistance throughout the superintendent search process.

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Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

en español | Maryland School for the Deaf Anuncia su 12mo Superintendente

December 21, 2022: MSD Superintendent Search Process Update

Dear MSD Community:

We want to provide a brief update on the Superintendent search process.

We had the opportunity to host both MSD Superintendent finalists on the Columbia and Frederick campuses last week. They received a warm welcome from the school community. Many thanks to all involved in participating, planning, and hosting these events.

Thanks to those who attended the community forums and for providing your thoughts on the feedback survey. We received a large number of comments from the surveys; the feedback was very helpful in informing the Board of Trustees decision in the selection of MSD's next Superintendent.

Last Friday, the Board of Trustees met and agreed on the next steps for selecting the new Superintendent. The administrative arrangements will take place during the holiday season and break. We appreciate your patience as the board works through this process.

The board will convene on Monday, January 9th to conduct a ratification vote for the selection of MSD's new Superintendent. This meeting and public announcement will be held at the Columbia campus. More information on this event will be shared in an email from the school. We are close to hiring a new superintendent for MSD.

Again, we thank the MSD community for your involvement throughout this search. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Thank you.

Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker
Superintendent Search Co-Chairs

Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

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December 8, 2022: Community Forums

Dear MSD Community:

We acknowledge and appreciate the heartfelt concerns from the community regarding the plans to hold the community forums solely on the Frederick campus.

This decision was in no way intended to dismiss or disregard the importance of the Columbia Campus and its community. We very much regret that people are feeling this way. That is something we never want to see occur.

A lot of thought and deliberation went into planning and scheduling all search activities and events. This search was conducted in a very compressed schedule to be ahead of other school searches, which posed some challenges. For example, the community forums and interviews must be completed within one week to meet the winter break deadline.

The compressed schedule is one factor in limiting our ability to host multiple activities. However, the most significant factor in limiting the forums to one campus location is the cost of Audio/Visual (AV) technical support services to provide a quality live-streamed event.

It is critical to live-stream the forums as we want to make the event accessible to all our stakeholders, regardless of their location, schedule, and personal commitment. By live-streaming the event, we are opening up the forum so that more members of the school and larger communities could attend and learn about each candidate in person or via live-stream.

Unfortunately, MSD does not have the ability or capacity to handle the AV/technical demands of the forums internally, so we had to contract with a professional firm to provide technical support to live-stream the event. The cost of these services is significant. If forums were held on each campus, AV technical support would be required for each location, and the cost would be doubled.

The candidates will get their first impression of MSD at the Columbia campus. Planning this was intentional as we are confident that the Columbia campus community will provide a wonderful first impression and a warm welcome, and the candidates will see for themselves the importance of the campus. Each finalist will spend the first half of the school day at the Columbia campus before visiting the Frederick campus.

We will be sure to share with the finalists that MSD had preferred to host forums on each campus. Hence, they shall understand that both campuses are equally important.

At this stage in the process, we cannot make any changes. We hope people will trust and believe that we tried our best under the circumstances and ask for their understanding and grace. We sincerely hope the community will join us at the community forums — either in person or virtually — and meet-and-greets and join us as we look forward to the appointment of a new superintendent to lead MSD.

Thank you,

Corey Burton
President, MSD Board of the Trustees

Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker
Superintendent Search Co-Chairs

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December 6, 2022: Superintendent Finalist Community Forums

Next week, MSD will welcome Mr. John A. Serrano and Ms. Taiyabah Naeem, the final candidates for the position of superintendent. Over a three-day period of December 13, 14, and 15, their visits will include campus tours, meetings with students, staff, and administrators, and an interview with the MSD Board of Trustees.

The school community and the larger community are invited to meet and learn about each candidate during a community forum held on the evenings of December 13 and 14. Each will present their vision of transforming MSD through its strengths. This is also an opportunity for the community to ask questions of each candidate and provide feedback on them to the Board of Trustees through the completion of a survey.

While MSD had hoped to offer community events at both campuses, we regret that we cannot offer an in-person event at the Columbia campus due to technology and scheduling constraints. Therefore, the forums will be held at the Frederick campus only. Seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the forum will also be available to view via Zoom webinar. Registration is required to attend either the in-person event or the live-stream.

The community forum will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Ely Auditorium on the Frederick campus. Mr. John A. Serrano will present on Tuesday, December 13, and Ms. Taiyabah Naeem will present on Wednesday, December 14. Please note that the doors open at 6:00 p.m. and close at 6:25 p.m. The forum will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

A Meet & Greet event with the finalist will be held in the Bjorlee Museum following the community forum from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Please note the event will end promptly at 8:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

ASL and Spanish interpreters will be provided at both the community forums and meet-and-greets.

Please complete a registration form for each adult attending or viewing the forum. If you are attending the in-person event as a family, please have one member of your party indicate how many children will also be attending.

November 21, 2022: Superintendent Finalist Announcement

The Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) Board of Trustees are pleased to announce the following individuals as finalists for the position of Superintendent of MSD: Ms. Taiyabah Naeem and Mr. John A. Serrano. After a thorough review of their qualifications and experience and meeting with the candidates in interviews, Ms. Naeem and Mr. Serrano were enthusiastically recommended by the MSD Superintendent Search Committee.

The next step in the process is for the finalists to visit MSD campuses and interview with the Board of Trustees. These activities will take place in person over a three day period of December 13, 14, and 15. The finalist visits will include campus tours and meetings with students, staff, and administrators. In addition, the school and the larger community will have an opportunity to meet and learn about each finalist during a community forum held on the evenings of December 13 and 14. Candidate interviews with the Board will be held the morning following their respective community forum, on December 14 and 15.

The Maryland School for the Deaf Board of Trustees wishes to recognize and thank the MSD Superintendent Search Committee members for their commitment to and support of this process, as well as the MSD staff and community members who are contributing to the search process. Additionally, we are grateful for the guidance and assistance from our partners from the executive search firm, Innivee Strategies, Inc.

About the Finalists:

Taiyabah Naeem (she/her) has worked for several years as a teacher, project manager, researcher, and education leader. She has a wealth of experience developing policies for school organizations and several research publications. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, to Pakistani Punjabi immigrant parents, Taiyabah worked as the Lead Science Teacher at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf. Later, she worked as a project manager at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. Taiyabah currently works as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, supporting educators, staff, and deaf and hard of hearing students from all races, ethnicities, and language backgrounds. Taiyabah volunteers at Cascadia Deaf Nation, where she shares her expertise and knowledge on the systematic health inequities and their impact on Deaf, Black Indigenous, and People of Color communities. Taiyabah holds two bachelor's degrees in biology and chemistry with a minor in Psychology, University Honors from Gallaudet University, a Master of Science degree in Deaf Education from McDaniel College, and a Master of Public Health degree from George Washington University. Her career is founded on the pedagogies of equitable leadership, inclusiveness, and student and family-centered learning.

John A. Serrano (he/him) is currently the Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Gallaudet University. Prior to his current position at Gallaudet University, he served as the school-level superintendent of Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD), a day school serving over 150 Deaf/DHH students in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, he worked at the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) for thirteen years. At TSD, he began his career as an elementary teacher before transitioning to administrative leadership roles such as the High School Principal for four years and the Director of Academic Affairs for five years. A New England native, he graduated from American School for the Deaf (ASD) and attended Gallaudet University, majoring in Elementary Education and Deaf Education. He currently serves as a governing board member for both the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) and the American School for the Deaf. John A. resides in Maryland with his wife, Melly and three children, Natalia (14), AJ (13) and Matthew (6).

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Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

PDF in English | Superintendent Finalist Announcement

en español | Anuncio de Finalistas para Superintendentes

October 5, 2022: MSD Announces Formation of Superintendent Search Committee

Hello MSD Community,

We are pleased to share that the search committee for the new superintendent of the Maryland School for the Deaf has been established.

The members are:

Samantha Bechara - Teacher, Columbia
Heather Beck - Parent, Columbia
Tade Cross - Teacher Assistant, Columbia
Christine DiMarco - Teacher, Frederick
Alicia Balzer Farias - Teacher, Frederick
Joshua Finkle - Parent, Frederick
Charity Jackson - Chief Diversity Officer
Minja Jung-Sanderlin - Teacher, Columbia
Matthew Lockhart - Maryland School for the Deaf Foundation
Tony Middleton - Procurement Officer
Shannon Negussie - Assistant Principal, Columbia
Sydney Padgett - Overnight RCYCP Staff, Frederick
Karin Scribner - Alumni

As you can see, the composition of the committee includes individuals representing the various constituencies across MSD, such as teachers, staff, administration and alumni. By working together with efficiency and professionalism, these individuals will play a critical role in conducting a fair, thorough, and ultimately successful search for the next leader.

Serving on the search committee is a significant voluntary commitment. On behalf of the MSD Board of Trustees and the MSD community, we are grateful and thankful for their involvement and commitment.

If you have any questions or concerns related to the search process, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. If you have recommendations for MSD Superintendent candidates, please send their names directly to Innivee Strategies at [email protected].

As always, we thank you for your interest in and support for this important work.

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Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

PDF in English | Formation of Search Committee

en español | Formación del Comité de Búsqueda

September 13, 2022: Now Accepting Applications for the MSD Superintendent Role!

Dear MSD Community:

We are now accepting applications for the MSD Superintendent role!

We invite you to review the newly updated Maryland School for the Deaf School Prospectus and Superintendent Leadership Profile. It includes information for potential applicants for the position including an overview of the school, the leadership characteristics and capabilities of the ideal candidate, and a description of the required qualifications and the job duties.

The Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) Superintendent leadership profile was developed in 2021 with input from nine focus groups representing a diverse makeup of stakeholders from the MSD community, including over 75 participants and over 100 responses to the community survey. The leader profile from 2021 has been updated to reflect the school's current situation and information.

The required qualifications for the MSD superintendent are:

An individual who is deaf or hard of hearing;
Bilingual fluency in American Sign Language and written English;
Master's degree in Deaf Education, Special Education, Educational Administration, Public Administration, or related field or discipline.
Minimum of three (3) years of experience working directly with Deaf, hard of hearing, and/or special education students.
Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a management and leadership role within an educational program for Deaf, hard of hearing, and/or special education students.
Demonstrated commitment to and experience in advancing social justice, equity, and inclusion.
Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Superintendent I Certification or ability to earn this certification within 3 years of hire date.

MSD is seeking a leader who can:

Build on the Strengths of MSD
Provide Innovative, Inspiring, and Transformational Leadership
Advance the Discipline and Field of Deaf Education
Advance MSD's Bilingual Education Philosophy
Unify Both Campuses and Foster a One-School Culture
Advance Anti-Racist and Anti-Bias Initiatives
Invest in Community and Professional Relationships and Partnerships
Shape and Articulate a New Strategic Vision and Future Direction

If you know of an ideal candidate who may be qualified for the Maryland School for the Deaf Superintendent, please share the prospectus with them. Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to [email protected]. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 28, 2022 at noon EST.

Please be sure to follow along with the search process by checking out the timeline on the MSD website. More information about the finalist forums will be released in a future search committee update.

As you can see, the work on the search for a new MSD superintendent is moving along. We will provide another update on our progress once we close the application period and begin the interview phase.

Thank you,

Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker

MSD Superintendent Search Co-Chairs

Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

PDF in English | Accepting Applications

en español | estamos aceptando solicitudes

August 15, 2022: Nominations for Search Committee

Dear MSD Community:

The Maryland School for the Deaf Board of Trustees are pleased to share that we have reactivated the search for the next MSD superintendent and are now actively seeking school community members to serve on the search committee.

We are seeking 13 individuals to assist in vetting a robust pool of candidates to fill this important role and invite nominations for consideration to serve as a member of the MSD superintendent search committee. Selections from the nominations will be made to ensure that the composition of the search committee is diverse and representative of the MSD community's key constituent groups. Individuals who served on the previous search committee are welcome to apply for consideration again.

The ideal 15-person search committee will consist of the following members:

Two BOT member co-chairs: Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker
One administrator/staff from the Orioles Leadership Team (OLT)
Two teachers from the Frederick campus
Two teachers from the Columbia campus
Two staff from the Frederick campus
Two staff from the Columbia campus
One parent from the Frederick campus
One parent from the Columbia campus
One MSD alumni
One member from the Maryland School for the Deaf Foundation

The nomination form can be found on the website. You may nominate yourself or someone you think would make a contribution to the search process. The deadline to submit a nomination is on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

Please stay tuned for more information regarding the MSD Superintendent search process.

Thank you,

Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker

MSD Superintendent Search Co-Chairs

Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

PDF in English | Nominations for Search Committee

en español | Solicitud de nominaciones

August 5, 2022: Superintendent Search Reactivated

Dear MSD Community:

The Maryland School for the Deaf Board of Trustees is pleased to share that the recruitment and search process for the next MSD Superintendent has been reactivated after a year-long hiatus. Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker are the co-chairs for the Superintendent search. During this period, MSD has made some critical strides that better position the school to bring on a new leader. These include elevating the compensation level for the superintendent position, the implementation of new diversity, equity, and inclusion programming, and successful navigation through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Planning for the current search began this spring with the contracting of an executive search firm to assist the Board of Trustees with this effort. We are pleased to be partnering again with Innivee Strategies, Inc., in this important work. Similar to the previous effort, the recruitment and search will be an open and inclusive process that will include critical stakeholders from across the MSD community and periodic communications to update the MSD community on the progress of the search. However, the new plan will follow an expedited timeline compared to the previous effort, leveraging and carrying over any relevant work resulting from the previous search. It is our expectation that this new search will be completed by the end of 2022 or early 2023, with the goal of hiring MSD's new superintendent by or before July 1, 2023.

The next step in the process ill be the formation of a new search committee consisting of individuals representing a cross-section of groups within the MSD community. Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information on how you may be involved in the MSD Superintendent search process by participating on the search committee.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected].

Thank you,
Akilah English and Krista Leitch Walker

MSD Superintendent Search Co-Chairs

Letter in ASL | Watch ASL Video

PDF in English | Superintendent Search Reactivated

en español | búsqueda reactivada

April 29, 2022: A Note from Idaltu Counseling & Consulting

The MSD Board solicited the support of Idaltu Counseling & Consulting in fall 2020 to provide advisement on the school's equity, inclusion, and antiracism initiatives. Since the initiation of the partnership, the firm has collected pertinent documents from MSD and the Board, conducted focus groups with administrators from both Frederick and Columbia campuses and the Board, facilitated two antiracism training sessions, and held several one-on-one meetings with the school's executive leadership.

After several months of research, the firm has completed its initial draft of the MSD Climate Survey and multiple iterations - which will be administered in the fall 2022. After interviewing several surveying metrics companies, the firm has selected Qualtrics to support in the rollout of the climate survey. Additionally, a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) has been consulted and contracted to convert the battery of questions into ASL. The CDI's role is to video record the ASL interpretations and upload them for embedment into the Qualtrics platform. The CDI will begin this work in May. In the meantime, Idaltu is reviewing school and Board documents.

If the community has any insight, suggestions, or feedback they'd like to offer, please contact Idaltu at [email protected].

December 10, 2021: Community Updates

Letter | Community Updates

PDF in Spanish | Traducción al Español

September 22, 2021: Board Election Results

Letter | Board Election Results

PDF in Spanish | Traducción al Español

June 29, 2021: School Leadership Announcement

Letter signed in ASL by Board of Trustees Acting Vice President Corey Burton

Letter | School Leadership Announcement

PDF in Spanish | Anuncio sobre Liderato de la Escuela

May 10, 2021: MSD Superintendent Search Suspended

Letter signed in ASL by Board member and co-chair Akilah English

Letter | Superintendent Search Suspended

PDF in Spanish | Búsqueda del Superintendente de Maryland School for the Deaf Suspendida

May 7, 2021: Resolution Commending Maryland School for the Deaf Staff

The Maryland School for the Deaf Board of Trustees recognizes and expresses its deepest gratitude to all MSD Staff for their unwavering and profound dedication to the Maryland School for the Deaf.

View Resolution Commending MSD Staff

April 28, 2021: Superintendent Search Update