Our Mission, Vision & Legacy
For more than 35 years, The Summit School has been dedicated to helping students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning differences discover their strengths, build confidence, and achieve academic success. Our mission and vision guide everything we do, while our history reflects a longstanding commitment to serving families throughout Central Maryland.
Mission
The Summit School educates children with unique learning profiles to their full potential.
Vision
The Summit School envisions a future in which students with learning differences mature into self-sufficient, self-advocating, and successful adults.
History
Summit was founded in 1989 by Dr. Jane R. Snider, former Executive Director, in response to a need in the greater Annapolis/Baltimore metropolitan community. Parents were traveling to Baltimore and Washington D.C. for their children to receive the specialized education that they needed to succeed.
For its first 5 years, The Summit School found its home in an old mansion in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. By December 1995, Summit had outgrown the mansion and relocated to its current location, a former horse farm, situated on 15 picturesque acres in Edgewater, Maryland.
Summit was founded as a mission driven school devoted to helping every child reach their full potential. Dr. Joan A. Mele-McCarthy, current Executive Director, continues the mission and leads Summit as a model program for bright students with dyslexia and other learning differences. Summit remains the only school in Anne Arundel County to serve this population of students exclusively.
A Look Back – How it All Got Started
1988 – Dr. Jane Snider envisions opening a school for dyslexic students. She establishes a team, including Dr. Michael Castleberry and the late Allen Robinson, to open a school.
1989-1990 – After an extended search, a site in Upper Marlboro, MD is found. Extensive renovations are required. The Summit School opens its doors.
1990-1991 – Summit nearly doubles its enrollment. School quickly outgrows location.
1993 – Summit begins search for a new home. Summit locates 15 acre property in Edgewater, MD. Construction and renovation begins.
1995 – Summit welcomes students to its new campus.
2000 – Summit starts construction on Student Activity Center providing space for an auditorium, stage, gymnasium and music room.
2018 – Work begins on the new driveway, STEM lab / Makerspace and Athletic Field and plans are underway for a new Academic Center to house 6th, 7th and 8th grades, a state of the art Instructional Media Center and upgraded facilities for the Summit Resource Center.
2019 – The Summit School Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary. Senator Sarah Elfreth, representing the 30th District, and Delegate Seth Howard, representing District 30B, each present The Summit School with an Official Citation from The Maryland General Assembly recognizing 30 years of service and thank Summit for its contribution to the community.
2020 – The Summit School successfully opened the 2020-2021 School Year with full-time, on-campus, in-person instruction. Implemented health and safety protocols that resulted in no reported cases of a Summit student testing positive for COVID-19 and no community spread.
Why Our Families Choose Summit
Since 1989, families across Central Maryland have trusted Summit to provide specialized instruction for students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning differences. Our history reflects a longstanding commitment to helping students develop the skills, confidence, and self-advocacy needed for lifelong success.
What Summit has done for my son and our family has been truly life-changing. The growth we have witnessed academically, socially, and emotionally has been extraordinary, and the impact on our family is something I will never forget.
-Alumni Parent