Meet Mark

Mark Covington standing behind a wooden podium with a laptop and microphone in front of black curtains.

For over three decades, Mark Covington has served Maryland students and families through the public school system.

As a classroom teacher, school principal and administrator, university lecturer, and community leader, Mark has always been guided by his commitment to giving every child the tools they need to thrive. 

Mark’s path to pursuing education wasn’t entirely conventional, but it gave him a perspective that not every educator can bring to their classrooms. Like many students, Mark didn’t have the easiest time navigating the school environment in his youth.

Throughout his childhood, his teachers knew when he was a part of their class roster, they would often be in for a challenging school year. He was a student who needed that extra push—someone to believe in him before he fully believed in himself.

Fortunately, Mark found those dedicated, uplifting teachers who offered him that much needed support.

This experience drove Mark’s passion for education that has lasted him a lifetime. 

Fueled by what he lived through as a student,Mark pursued his education degrees with a clear mission: to offer students just like him the support they need to overcome their biggest challenges. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Health Education from Towson State University and spent nearly a decade getting hands-on experience working as a public school teacher in Prince George’s County–confirming his love for teaching and deepening his understanding of what schools must provide their students to see them thrive.

That experience sent him back to higher education, where he earned his Masters of Education in School Administration and Supervision from Bowie State University, determined to improve students’ and educators’ experiences beyond the classroom.

Black and white photo of students at a Laurel High School pep rally, Mark Covington is standing in the foreground, holding papers, and smiling.

Over the course of his career, Mark served in leadership roles across Prince George’s and Howard Counties– from vice-principal at Eleanor Roosevelt High School and Thurgood Marshall Middle School, to principal at DuVal High School in Lanham.

In every role, he carried with him the memory of the student he once was, making sure he offered the holistic support he received to the students and staff he worked with.

As an administrator, Mark managed multi-million dollar budgets, closed academic achievement gaps, grew advanced courseware participation, and mentored the next generation of educators. At Howard High School, he championed a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support model – a restorative, student-first approach that informs his goals for the Howard County Board of Education today.

At DuVal High School, he increased graduation rates for three consecutive years and improved student achievement scores, all through investing the time, energy, and funds in the students and educators who flourished when supported.

“I’ve spent my entire career working to help kids find the greatness we all have inside. In the spirit of Frederick Douglass, I want to help in building strong kids instead of fixing broken adults.”

After his years in school administration, Mark joined the faculty of Loyola University’s Teacher Education Department, where he spent five years training the next generation of teachers–developing curriculum, supervising student teachers, and helping working educators earn their Maryland teaching certification and refine their skills.

For Mark, investing in teachers is more than a policy point, it’s personal. He knows firsthand what a great teacher can do for a struggling student, and he has spent his career making sure every student gets to experience what a great teacher can provide. 

Today, Mark is bringing all of that experience and heart home.

He has served Howard County as Vice Chair of the HCPSS Community Advisory Council, Vice Chair of the Hickory Ridge Village Review Committee, working alongside the families, educators, and community members he hopes to fight for on the Board of Education.

He's also a proud member of the Columbia Democratic Club and the Howard County Pickleball Association.

Mark lives in Hickory Ridge with his wife Andrea, where he shows up every day with the same drive that has defined his career: to make sure every student in HCPSS has what they need to find their greatness.

[from left to right] - Mark Covington's Daughter in Law, Grand daughters, Son Mark Jr., Wife Andrea Covington, and Mark Covington