Dr. Patricia (“Patty”) Saelens has spent the last 30 years of her educational career on the Eastern Shore. A native of Talbot County, Dr. Saelens earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in administration/supervision from Salisbury University. She began her career in Dorchester County as a social studies teacher and subsequently became an administrator.
In 2006, Dr. Saelens was hired by Caroline County Public Schools (CCPS) and shortly thereafter, earned her Doctorate in Leadership and Innovation from Wilmington University. After 10 years in various leadership positions in Caroline County, she was appointed as Interim Superintendent in 2016. She subsequently served as the Caroline County Superintendent through 2021 before joining the executive leadership team of Queen Anne’s County Public Schools (QACPS) where she now serves as the Superintendent of Schools.
Dr. Saelens is the past president of the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM) and ESMEC (Eastern Shore of Maryland Educational Consortium). She has served for more than three years as a member of the Governor’s Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board (PSTEB). She continues to promote leadership throughout the state of Maryland in her role as a board member of Leadership Maryland. Most recently, she planned for and implemented an Aspiring Superintendent Academy for the State of Maryland.
Past AASA Maryland Superintendent of the Year Winners:
2022 Maryland Superintendent of the Year: Kelly Griffith
2020 Maryland Superintendent of the Year: Daniel (Dan) Curry
About the Award:
The Superintendent of the Year program, sponsored by First Student and AASA, pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation’s public schools.
State-level winners are selected on the following criteria:
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- Leadership for Learning
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Community Involvement