Deputy Superintendent

Dr. Michael Markoe is the Deputy Superintendent for Frederick County Public Schools. He leads the Division of Academics, Curriculum, Transformation & Student Achievement (ACTS). The ACTS division consists of the following departments:

• Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation
• Equity and Organizational Development
• Special Education and Student Services
• System Accountability & School Administration

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in special education from Millersville University in Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree in educational leadership from Hood College. He completed his Ed.D. in an interdisciplinary doctoral program for educational leaders at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Dr. Markoe is a graduate of Linganore High School where he was a scholar-athlete. He was a member of the school’s first state championship football team and named Frederick News-Post Offensive Player of the Year.

Background: A career educator, Dr. Markoe served as the associate superintendent for Educational Improvement and Innovation for Washington County Public Schools. He started his career in education at Monocacy Middle in Frederick, where he was a special education teacher and student support teacher. He was promoted to assistant principal in 1999 and assigned to Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle. In 2002, he accepted an assignment at Washington County Public Schools as principal of Western Heights Middle. He was promoted to Student Services and Special Education director in 2004. From 2006 to 2012, he worked in various Washington County Public Schools leadership positions. He returned to FCPS to serve as deputy superintendent in August 2014.

Leadership Philosophy: Dr. Markoe is an advocate of the servant leadership philosophies and practices. He has created and led a focused—driven initiative for school and central office administrators over the past three years that inspires individuals to serve first and then lead. Dr. Markoe developed the following principles to help foster servant-leaders and their pursuit to put the needs of others first and to help them perform to the highest degree possible:

• Simplify everything while reinforcing the basics.
• Search for the story behind the person.
• See the future while staying in the moment.
• Surrender personal agendas and egos.
• Strengthen relationships.
• Stretch the organization and the status quo.
• Seek knowledge, but more importantly, wisdom.
• Steward leaders to change the world.

“I believe the bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves, but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”

-John Maxwell

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