At this week’s meeting of the Education Committee, MACo hosted Dr. Bernie Sadusky, Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC). Dr. Sadusky began as MACC Executive Director in July 2012, after completing a year of service as interim superintendent at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Prior to his role with the state, Dr. Sadusky served as superintendent of schools in Maryland’s Queen Anne’s County and spent more than 30 years in total in the Queen Anne’s school system as an administrator and teacher.

Dr. Sadusky provided an overview of community college programming in the state, describing academic and job training goals, the challenges facing community colleges and how they are continuing to adapt to demographic changes in their student body.  The average age of a community college student has recently risen to 30 years, and new training solutions continue to be added based on local workforce needs, such as a recently developed program for those seeking positions at the Arundel Mills casino.  Members of the Education Committee expressed interest in how community colleges might help retrain workers who had lost their jobs mid-career during the recession, a task which Dr. Sadusky accepted willingly.

The conversation also included a discussion of legislation in the General Assembly, including the College Readiness and Completion Act of 2013, which establishes a number of requirements aimed at increasing college readiness and completion in the State.  Some changes proposed in the legislation would shift costs of students dually enrolled in high school and community college to county boards of education.  The Education Committee will continue discussion of this bill and other legislation affecting K-12 education in Maryland.

Worcester County Commissioner Judy Boggs, Chair of the Education Committee, thanked Director Sadusky for coming and asked that he return to speak with the group at greater length at a future meeting.