Superintendent Message

Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year

Dear MCPS Families,

A few months ago, one of our middle school leaders shared a story with me that is a snapshot of the great work happening at MCPS.

Staff were gathered in the gym on a teacher learning day. A page was taped to the walls for every single student in the building: one page, one name, one child. Every teacher was handed a sheet of stickers, and asked to walk the room and put a sticker on the page of any child they knew well.

When they finished their tour, almost every page in that gym had a sticker. But a few didn’t. Instead of moving on, the staff stood in front of the pages and made a decision together: those kids weren't unknown. They just weren’t known well…yet. Specific adults volunteered, right there, to make sure that changed. To learn a name and a story, and say hello in the hallway.

I share this story not because it's unusual, but because it isn't. Versions of it are happening in schools across MCPS all the time. This is one of the ways our staff help students to develop Balanced Character and learn to be Effective Communicators, two of the six qualities in our Profile of a Graduate. We didn't invent this commitment to kids with the Profile, we simply put a name to something our teachers are already doing.

Connection and academics go hand in hand: students who have at least one trusted adult at school are more resilient and engaged. When our students have a strong sense of belonging with their peers and teachers in their school community, it is a foundation on which they build other skills and experiences. This is the kind of education we want our own children to have, and what families in our community deserve.

So when you hear us talk about the Profile of a Graduate this year, I hope you'll picture that gym. An adult for every child. A promise we're making sure holds true for every student who walks through our doors.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. We’re looking forward to a great year.

Warmly,
Micah Hill,