Tri-County Southern Maryland Summit outlines five work teams to recruit and retain teachers
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Summary
Presenters at a Southern Maryland Tri-County summit described five cross-institutional work teams and new pathways — including high-school-to-teacher pipelines and conditional-licensure supports — aimed at addressing a regional teacher shortage they said affects about 4,000 of Maryland’s 60,000 teachers.
Presenters from three Southern Maryland school districts onstage at a Tri-County education summit outlined coordinated steps to recruit, prepare and retain teachers in the region, saying the challenge requires joint action.
"Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much," Presenter (S2) told attendees, framing the summit as a collaborative effort to address shortages and strengthen local pipelines into the profession.
Why it matters: Presenters said the teacher shortage affects staffing across the Tri-County Southern Maryland region and noted that, they estimate, "of the 60,000 teachers in Maryland, about 4,000 are here in Southern Maryland," a figure Presenter (S2) used to stress the scale of local need. The geographic distance from larger higher-education institutions, presenters said, complicates recruitment and retention.
What was announced: Presenters described five cross-institutional work teams formed after last year’s summit. Their stated focuses are: building a high-school-to-teacher pipeline to attract Tri-County youth into teaching; creating conditional-licensure supports so teachers with conditional licenses can obtain full licensure; developing pathways from support personnel into teaching roles; creating a public-relations and communications plan to recruit and retain candidates; and mapping existing resources to better link supports and opportunities.
Details and supports: Summit speakers emphasized that high-quality induction programs, instructional coaching, mentoring, administrative supports and attention to workload are core retention strategies. Presenter (S2) highlighted ongoing professional growth for veteran teachers and pointed to National Board Certification as one mechanism for teacher development and leadership building.
What wasn’t decided: The summit discussion described strategies and teams rather than voting on or adopting formal policies; presenters did not announce specific funding amounts, implementation timelines or named partner institutions. Presenter (S3) said the work teams are already producing results but did not specify concrete next steps or deadlines during the remarks.
Next steps: Presenters said the teams will continue their cross-institutional work to develop the pipelines and supports discussed; the summit served to align priorities across the three districts and communicate those focus areas to attendees.
