Grading The Superintendent: Dr. Dallas Dance Nears First Year As Head Of Balt. Co. Schools

COCKEYSVILLE, Md. (WJZ) -- One of the youngest school superintendents to run a large school system is nearing his first year in town.

In Cockeysville, Mike Schuh caught up with the leader of the 26th largest school system in the country.

On his first, first-day of school in Baltimore County, new Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance was called to a shooting at Perry Hall High.

Schuh: "You had a really tough start. Your very first day was something that no superintendent should have ever have to deal with. When you look back at this, your first year here, what grade do you give yourself?"

Dance: "If I had to give myself a grade, probably a 'B' minus."

His goals included community input on improving curriculum, infrastructure and communication.

"The biggest thing coming into the job is, again, I go to what the community said they needed from a leader," he said. "They said they needed someone who would address the curriculum, infrastructure and communication. And on those issues we've put solid plans in place to deal with that."

Now, his first year is coming to a close. He's traveled to every school in the district.

Friday, Career Day at Cockeysville Middle. He talks to them about how his goals helped him.

"And so, it's, 'How do you get sixth graders to realize you only have two more years of middle school and four more years left?' The message today was to get them to think, what do you want to do?" Dr. Dance said.

Dr. Dance's contract has him leading Baltimore County for another three years.