Bangladeshi American Appointed Maryland State Superintendent of Schools
- Mohammed Choudhury has been credited for helping lead transformation and innovation efforts in several school districts around the country.
Bangladeshi American Mohammed Choudhury has been appointed Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, the Maryland State Board of Education announced recently.Choudhury, who currently serves as Associate Superintendent and Chief Strategy, Talent and Innovation Officer for the San Antonio Independent School District, will begin his new role on July 1. He is replacing Dr. Karen B. Salmon who will retire on June 30 after an education career spanning more than 45 years.
As per a press release from the MarylandDepartment of Education, Choudhury is “nationally recognized for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to equity, innovation, and excellence in public education.” He is credited for helping to lead a transformation of San Antonio’s large school system, where 90 percent of students are economically-disadvantaged. “Before he arrived in San Antonio, the district had an F-rating,” the press release said. “Today, it is the fastest-improving large district in all of Texas.”
In a statement issued after his appointment, Choudhury noted that for years, Maryland Public Schools have been a model for other states. “There is an incredibly strong foundation to build upon to ensure that every Maryland student has the opportunity to build a great future,” he said.
“But being one of the top states for education doesn’t mean there aren’t gaps in the system, and it certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement,” said Choudhury. “With the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future as a guide for MSDE and every district in the state, the state’s leaders have shown a remarkable commitment to the hard work that’s necessary to bridge gaps and ensure every student has the tools and support needed to be successful.”
Prior to his appointment in San Antonio, Choudhury led transformation and innovation efforts for the Dallas Independent School District which has been recognized as a national model for launching and scaling transformation initiatives.
He started his career as a classroom teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District where he earned accolades for his innovative work to partner with non-profit organizations to provide students with additional support in middle school. Beyond the classroom, Choudhury also built extensive experience and expertise in program and policy development as a senior leader with the Future is Now Schools Network.
In 2018, Education Week profiled Choudhury as a “Leader to Learn From,” one of 12 exceptional school system leaders recognized nationally for impacting student and teacher success. He is a member of the Chiefs for Change Future Chief program, a highly selective, nationally-based leadership development program that prepares the next generation of state and district education leaders. Choudhury completed his undergraduate work at California State University in Northridge and earned an M.Ed. from UCLA.