January 23, 2025
Dear Students, Families, Employees, and Community Members:
The news on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, that the new presidential administration reversed prior administration guidance, “Guidelines for Enforcement Actions Near Protected Areas,” and gave federal immigration agencies the power to carry out enforcement activities at places like churches and schools has heightened an already feverish conversation in many of our communities. It is important for our families, students, employees, and communities to understand that while we continue to examine the potential impacts of this change in course, our work and support of our students remains undeterred.
As the vision of our Strategic Plan clearly states, “Anne Arundel County Public Schools is a school community where everyone can belong, grow, and succeed.” These words, like the overall plan, were developed not by the Superintendent’s Office or even the Board of Education. They were crafted by our community, the result of an intense amount of thought and work by stakeholders from all parts – and with a great diversity of thoughts and opinions – of our county.
I want everyone to know that we stand firmly on these principles and will continue to provide supportive learning environments that allow every one of our students to develop that sense of belonging that is so critical to success no matter how they show up. Our job is not to ask about immigration status – we don’t. We also are prohibited by federal law from providing information in a student’s record to federal agents. Our job is to educate the students who are enrolled in our schools – every single one of them.
While we cannot and will not violate the law, I assure our families and community that our focus remains steadfast. We will continue to be about achieving academic excellence, preparing our students for the larger community in which we want them to be leaders and supporting our students to the best of our ability. We will also continue to be inclusive of families in those efforts because they are crucial to the success of students.
Our Office of the General Counsel has provided guidance to schools about immigration issues that can be read here. Additionally, the Board-approved policies and school system regulations below may be helpful. While we recognize that not every policy can guarantee that students will not experience the conditions that the policies are meant to protect against, AACPS will enforce these policies to the fullest extent possible.
I realize this is an unsettling time for many families, students, and employees. As an administration, we will work to support our schools – and, therefore, our students and families – to the greatest extent possible as we seek to understand and navigate the changing landscape.
Yours in education,
Mark T. Bedell, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
