CUMBERLAND — Although he has two decades of experience as superintendent in other Maryland counties and as West Virginia’s state superintendent, Michael Martirano couldn’t stay away from his hometown.
“I really have never left because of the amount of friends and family,” said Martirano, who grew up in Frostburg. “My roots are here, and they’re planted pretty deep.”
Frequently, folks brought up the idea to bring his career home.
“Mike, why don’t you come back home and run our school system?” friends and family asked.
He thought it was a good question, but he still had to raise his children.
“It’s been something that I’ve always considered, but the timing has never been right,” Martirano said. “Now, it just seems like all the stars have aligned in a beautiful way for that to happen.”
At the beginning of July, Martirano took over as Allegany County Public Schools superintendent.
Before his experience as superintendent, Martirano started as a science teacher and eventually began working in school administration.
His educational background includes a bachelor’s and two masters’ degrees from the University of Maryland and a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.
On top of experience and education, his communications skills seem like a good fit for the role, said Kimberly Sloane, president of the Allegany County Education Association.
“One of the things that we are really excited about with this new superintendent … (is that) we were hoping for an experienced educator who’s also a great communicator, someone who actively listens and responds appropriately to all,” Sloane said.
Jahantab Siddiqui, his former chief administrative officer at the Howard County Public School System, agreed that those attributes are some of Martirano’s strong suits.
“He’s a very inclusive leader who likes to listen to as many opinions around him as possible to understand, you know, the full 360 of any vision,” Siddiqui said.
Having good communication throughout all levels of the education system is crucial to keep things running smoothly, she said.
“It really takes all of us to make a whole very sound system of education for our students,” Sloane said. “I always like to say that we are like the yang to the yin.”
Martirano has already set his main goals for the school system.
He listed improving attendance rates, the quality of the math and reading curriculum, literacy rates and safety as his main goals for the schools.
Martirano also underlined the importance of graduation.
“That’s my intense focus, and that’s the gift that we want to provide as educators in our community to our overall county to ensure that every child is graduating and so they can want to be productive citizens of society.”
He has set his goals in spite of the school year’s particular obstacles, whether that be addressing the $5 million in costs to restore Westernport Elementary School after severe flood damage or the onslaught of funding challenges at the federal and state levels.
“I am energized by the work,” Martirano said. “A lot of people feel like the superintendent you see is so intense, and people aren’t going into the position because of the intensity.”
Former colleagues agree he is no stranger to tough times, especially during his tenure as superintendent in Howard County.
According to Siddiqui, Martirano dealt with a senior prank that turned into a serious hate crime at Glenelg High School, a nearly $40 million employee health fund deficit and the pandemic.
“We took on some really tough challenges,” Siddiqui said. “Ones that most people would have looked at and say, ‘That’s a tomorrow problem.’”
Martirano managed to tackle the problems and stay focused on his goals, said Bill Barnes, who was Martirano’s chief academic officer in Howard County.
“He was coming in at a tumultuous time, and what really motivated me to want to work with him more closely was his really positive energy and his focus on really making sure our students were available for learning,” Barnes said.
On top of that, his leadership style and open communication inspired the next generation of superintendents.
“He’s always focused on sustainability and looking for the long term to build out, to develop leaders for the future,” Siddiqui said.
Barnes, who is now Howard County’s superintendent, said he learned important lessons from Martirano.
“I learned a great deal about how you have to engage community members as part of the solution,” Barnes said. “So it was that, and then a million other, you know, leadership lessons, just from speaking to him and walking or working alongside, watching how he sort of just ran a very complex school system.”
Martirano said he is excited to continue his career and give back to the community that raised him.
“It’s a real full circle moment for me,” Martirano said.
“It’s just more than a job, it’s a passion. It’s my calling. Returning to the place that educated me, loved me and cared for me and to be able to give back to our students is just what is driving all of the fire in my stomach right now to make just a great impact for the kids in Allegany County.”