Today on Midday, Maryland’s public schools are at a critical juncture. Test scores—one way of grading student performance—made modest gains following a COVID-19 pandemic-era slump. But scores remain stubbornly low—ranking among the bottom 10 states in 4th-grade reading and mathematics.

Dr. Carey Wright, Maryland's new State Superintendent of Schools, joins Midday. She is seeking to make lasting changes to public schools across the state. In her previous role as superintendent for Mississippi schools, Wright lead a remarkable turnaround in the state's math and reading tests scores. Can she do the same in Maryland?

Wright's initiatives includes the adoption of a new method of teaching reading. Additionally, a controversial proposed literary policy could hold back 3rd grade students who fail to achieve required reading prowess.