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Caroline County Public Schools, with over 1,000 employees, serving 5,500 students and 3,500 families, is an integral, and integrated, part of the community. Developing partnerships with businesses and organizations that serve the people in the county is a top strategic goal, according to Dr. Derek Simmons, Superintendent of Caroline County Public Schools.
Simmons emphasized the importance of partnership as he engaged with a group of business leaders and community leaders at two separate meetings. “I want to have a stronger school system, not a system of schools,” Simmons explained, and to reach that overarching goal, CCPS must work together with the organizations that serve students and families now and the employers that will be employing students in the future.
During a presentation with a group of business leaders, Simmons said that the state measures wealth per student, a metric in which Caroline County ranks 23 out of 24 jurisdictions. However, as business owners and operators know, lack of wealth or lack of resources does not automatically doom an organization to failure. Simmons proudly stated that studies indicated that wealth per student equates to performance, but Caroline County students are not 23 out of 24 in performance. He said there are “wealthier” school districts that perform more poorly, and that CCPS is solidly in the middle.
As with any business, strategies and tactics help to guide the organization, but implementation and performance measurements help keep positive supports on track and allow for corrections mid-stream. The CCPS leadership team intentionally looks at what is working and what is going well, as a balance against what is not working.
Two success points of note from Simmons: Caroline County has the highest paid teachers on the Eastern Shore, which helps with recruitment. He also stated that the Lockerman Middle School build is on track with groundbreaking anticipated in the summer of 2027.
A key partnership component is the apprenticeship program, and the career readiness team is working with intention to allow students to enter an apprenticeship with local businesses. The program is mutually beneficial to student, employer, and school system, and Simmons is excited that the program grows, thanks to strong partnerships.
It was a theme that Simmons reiterated at a meeting the next week with Community Schools staff and community organizations. All schools within are designated as a Community School, which serves the students beyond education and focuses on the schools’ and community’s strengths and assets. Simmons explained that Community Schools purpose is, “removing barriers that may be in the way of allowing students to thrive.”
A key part of Community Schools’ success is the continued partnership with community organizations and nonprofits with a goal of providing wrap-around services. During the second annual partner meeting, Nicole Fisher, Supervisor of Community Schools and Equity, gave the example of embedded wellness and health services in CCPS schools. Through a 25-year partnership with Choptank Community Health System, students and families received health, wellness, dental, and behavioral health services at the school buildings. Community Schools expand that type of partnership to include other community-serving agencies and organizations.
