KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NAMES DR. MARK BEDELL ’97 NEW SUPERINTENDENT 
By Dia Wall for News 41 KSHB 

Mark BedellDr. Mark Bedell is the choice to lead Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS). The school board stated the decision was unanimous. According to KCPS, the School Board's goal is to have the new superintendent in place by July 1.

"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."

Dr. 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. Dr. Bedell plans to focus on increasing graduation rates and decreasing suspension rates. 

 Dr. Bedell earned a bachelor of arts in history from Fisk University in 1997, a master’s of education from Tennessee State University in 2000, and an Ed.D. from Nova Southern University in 2015. He has won numerous awards including the Young Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, Feeder Pattern Principal of the Year Award (2007-2008), Outstanding Educator Award from Texas A&M (2009), and District of Distinction Award from District Administration magazine (2014). 

Dr. Bedell has had many accomplishments while with the Baltimore County Public School System. He helped boost the graduation rate to 87.6 percent in 2014, decreased 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. Dr. Bedell also serves on the board of directors for the National Association of School Resource Officers. "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 Dr. Bedell.

Fisk University, in its educational programs and activities involving students and employees, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or age. Furthermore, the university does not discriminate against veterans or individuals with disabilities.