A School Is More Than a Number
Sean unpacks the limits of online ratings and explains what growth and assessment data can—and can’t—tell a parent.
Full Interview · April 18, 2024 · Ep. 34
Lutherville Lab Elementary School: Beyond Ratings with Principal Sean McComb
At Lutherville Laboratory Elementary School—often called Lutherville Lab Elementary School—principal Sean McComb helps parents look beyond ratings to their children’s growth, relationships, and safety. He was the 2014 National Teacher of the Year.
Filmed interview with Sean McComb, Matt Rhine and Charlie Rhine. Original podcast audio is also available below.
Choose the full interview or a clip below.
Prefer audio? Listen to the original podcast recording below. Video and audio use different timestamps.
Principal · Lutherville Laboratory Elementary School
Sean McCombPrincipal · Lutherville Laboratory Elementary School
Charlie RhineGuest · Matt’s son
Inside the Interview
- Look beyond a single school rating to growth, relationships, and students’ sense of safety.
- Ask how teachers combine test scores with classroom work and trends over time.
- Find better ways to learn about a school than relying on anonymous online reviews alone.
- Understand how a principal responds when a child feels unsafe or needs support.
- Know which boundary and pre-K questions to confirm with the district before making plans.
Recorded April 18, 2024. Ratings methods, attendance boundaries, pre-K offerings, and district budgets can change. This interview is not a guarantee of school assignment or program eligibility.
Meet the Guest
Sean McComb
Sean McComb is principal of Lutherville Laboratory Elementary School, often called Lutherville Lab Elementary School, and was the 2014 National Teacher of the Year. He began teaching English at Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts, where he coached and worked in a college-readiness program for first-generation college students.
More about Sean McComb
Sean says the national honor took him across the country and abroad for a year to visit classrooms, speak with teachers, and represent their profession. He returned to teaching while supporting teacher coaches. He was drawn to elementary education by its energy and the chance to build reading skills early, before gaps become harder to address.
He became assistant principal at Pleasant Plains Elementary, helping lead school improvement, before moving to Lutherville Laboratory. In the interview, he also describes a fellowship at the U.S. Department of Education that widened his view of schools and their communities. Today, he focuses on knowing children, supporting teachers, and helping families see growth beyond a rating.
- PrincipalLutherville Laboratory Elementary School
- 2014 National Teacher of the YearCouncil of Chief State School Officers
- White House recognitionRecognized with fellow teachers in 2014
Sources: School staff page ↗National Teacher of the Year archive ↗White House archive ↗
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