The next time the Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Education meets, the members will announce who they’ve selected to become the next superintendent.
Asked about the agenda item for next Tuesday’s school board meeting, spokesman Chris Cram said the board will appoint “a new superintendent” after an “extensive search.”
Currently, Monifa McKnight is serving as the interim superintendent.
McKnight has been criticized over decisions to shift schools to virtual learning, and recently issued an apology to the community, pledging more communication.
“I apologize for any stress this caused our staff, students, and community members,” McKnight said. “The health and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority.”
Two former members of the Montgomery County School Board said after McKnight’s apology that she should be appointed to lead the state’s largest school system for the next four years.
In a letter to the current Montgomery County Board of Education, Michael Durso, who served on the school board from 2009 to 2018, and Jeanette Dixon, who served from 2016 to 2020, urged the current board of education to hire McKnight, saying she is “the right person for this time.”
Durso and Dixon wrote that McKnight and the current school board members have been under “excessive scrutiny and criticism” over COVID-19 protocols and changes to school operations.
In an email to WTOP, Cram said the appointment of the next superintendent comes after a search that included a “diverse pool of exceptional candidates.”
