Mark Bedell is the choice to lead Kansas City Public Schools.
RELATED: KCPS introduces finalists for superintendent's post
The school board announced on Wednesday plans to move forward to the next phase with Bedell. Contract negotiations are set to begin, and a formal vote is expected in the next month.
"I want to be able to come here and give some hope to inspire kids, to let them know that I lived through the exact things that they're experiencing right now," said Bedell.
The school board told 41 Action News the decision was unanimous.
"The KCPS board is extremely proud of the process used to select our next superintendent," said KCPS board president Jon Hile. "We were exceptionally happy with the applications. Mark Bedell is simply the best choice to lead the KCPS."
RELATED: City meets finalists for Kansas City Public Schools superintendent
@KCMOSchools I am excited about this opportunity to serve as the next Superintendent of KCPS! Manual Career students pic.twitter.com/7pdEfkmFkX
— Mark Bedell (@mark_bedell) January 20, 2016
Bedell is currently the assistant superintendent for high schools at Baltimore County public schools in Towson, Maryland. He has worked more than 15 years in education and started out his career as a teacher. Bedell plans to focus on increasing graduation rates and decreasing suspension rates.
According to KCPS, the School Board's goal is to have the new superintendent in place by July 1.
MORE ABOUT MARK BEDELL
Education
- Nova Southeastern University: Doctor of Education (Ed. D), 2015
- Tennessee State University: Master of Education (M.Ed.), 1999 – 2000
- Fisk University: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), History, 1993-1997
Awards
- Young Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award
- Feeder Pattern Principal of the Year Award (2007-2008)
- Outstanding Educator Award from Texas A&M (2009)
- District of Distinction Award from District Administration magazine (2014)
Accomplishments
- Helped boost the BCPS graduation rate to 87.6 percent in 2014
- Decreased BCPS suspension rates from 8.3 percent to 5 percent
- Helped implement a countywide SAT day and raise Baltimore juniors’ SAT participation rate from 38.1 percent in 2012 to 87 percent in 2015
- Serves on the board of directors for the National Association of School Resource Officers
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Dia Wall can be reached at dia.wall@kshb.com.
