Dear CASE Member,

It is time…

In June 2020 I signed a 2-year contract extension with the CASE Board of Directors to serve as the association’s Executive Director. I shared with the Board at that time that I would only commit to one year at a time but would inform the Board in a timely fashion should I choose not to serve the second year. In January, I informed the CASE Board of Directors that I would be leaving the Executive Director position at the end of June 2021.

I have served you good people for four years after a career as a teacher and administrator in BCPS, and another career as a Leadership Development Specialist at MSDE. The last year of the pandemic, cyberattack, and inconsistent system leadership has been tough on all of us, and I cringe at how that has impacted every one of our members. Quite simply, it is time for me to step away from the day-to-day requirements to do this job effectively.

While I won’t delineate the specific advances for our membership over the last four years, I take great personal and professional pride of the growth our association has made, and the increased respect of CASE from our members, as well as system stakeholders and leaders. Our membership has grown and maintained at our highest levels. The CASE Board will soon advertise for my replacement. If you know of anyone who you feel would be a good fit, please inform one of the Board members.

CASE is a very diverse group of professionals with many job descriptions and responsibilities. It is a difficult balancing act to ensure everyone feels represented. I will say that every member who ever reached out to me regarding Master Agreement concerns was represented to the best of my ability. I will continue to advocate for all members at every meeting, conference, or negotiation for the duration of my term. I thank each one of you for your support, comments, compliments, and concerns over the years. Every one of them helped me grow as a leader! As a principal, my goal was always to leave a school in better shape than when I inherited it. I believe that should be every leader’s goal in any position. I feel comfortable that I have done that with CASE.

Kathy has been very patient as she hears me rant and rave from my home office, and as our country begins to get back to a sense of normalcy, she and I want to travel and explore. It is time…

Until our paths cross again,

Tom

Tom DeHart
Executive Director, CASE