Goal Setting

Something new can be scary, but something new can also be extraordinary; and Calvert County just got something extraordinarily new with a new face to recognize, Dr. Andrae Townsel. Townsel is a 3-time graduate of Howard University, taking the place of Dr. Daniel Curry, whose term as school superintendent recently concluded from 2014-2022. Although Dr. Curry will be missed, Dr. Townsel is ready to bring something new to the table for Calvert County. “Professionally my main goal is to enhance the student experience and increase academic achievement.” Telling the story of Calvert County and Calvert County Public Schools is also a goal that Dr. Townsel holds high on his priority list, to ensure that WE are the ones to tell our story, not anyone else.

Fixing the Main Problems

As the United States is struggling to find employees in many job environments, we are beginning to see this bleeding into school systems across the country. If you have been watching the news or paying the slightest attention to the American Education system, you understand there is a serious teacher shortage facing this country. Sadly, Calvert County has fallen into that statistic, facing this unfortunate plague. “Unfortunately, there is a teacher shortage nationally,” Townsel explained, while also highlighting that, though detrimental in its own respect, we are not affected the most. He went on to explain how creating a phenomenal teacher recruitment and retention program, as well as incentivizing the teaching profession, is something he intends to work on. He believes taking these measures in order to fill the teaching openings in Calvert County, as well as inspiring new ideas in the education system beyond CCPS, will be beneficial.

Looking beyond teacher shortages, parents have made their way into the educational issues. For instance,, a major debate in educational media is the involvement of parents and guardians in a student’s education. Townsel strongly encourages and welcomes parent and guardian involvement in curriculum and instruction. “We always welcome parental input, and parental engagement is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Having a parental advisory council or parent round table is super important!”

While one can look at education and see many similarities in each district, each has its own individual, unique struggles, that can always be improved upon. In Townsel’s opinion, communication is one of the biggest issues facing education in CCPS. He emphasizes the necessity for communicating the celebration of our staff and students openly and thoroughly, rather than disregarding the hard work within the community.

Bringing a New Perspective

In a world where most everything is done with a screen in hand, social media storms our school. Townsel has recognized our commitment to this, and through his extensive work and impressive following on social media, Townsel wants to ensure that we students, the largest population of social media users, are retaining a full understanding of his plans and progress. He does this through consistent posts about his professional, and even his personal life, giving us a glimpse of his humanity as a dedicated husband and father, as well as an avid sports fan. As a strong supporter of student athletics, and a former student athlete (football linebacker), one of Dr. Townsel’s goals is to get an official answer to the frequently asked question by students, staff and parents: ‘When is Calvert County going to get turf fields?’

” It is my hope that we can close out that question with a ‘yes or no.’ I’m trying to get everyone together to see how much money we have and what we can move around in order to make this happen!” Townsel happily explained.

Townsel’s goals and his well-rounded persona as an individual express his great dedication to being a representative of the students, parents, and faculty of Calvert County. Townsel encapsulates principles of hard work and dedication, which we can all aspire to work towards. If one thing is certain, it is that we are in the perfect position for a fantastic year in the guiding hands of Dr. Andrae Townsel.