Board appoints interim superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — The Montgomery County Board of Education named the school district’s interim superintendent Tuesday, days after it and the former superintendent agreed to part ways.

The board appointed Dr. Monique Felder to serve in the position left open by the departure of Dr. Monifa McKnight.

McKnight and the board released statements on Feb. 2 announcing that they were separating. The decision and announcement came a little more than a week after McKnight shared that the board asked her to step down.

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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) found itself at the center of controversy after an investigation by the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) employee Joel Beidleman “engaged in misconduct” while he was serving as the principal of Farquhar Middle School.

OIG and outside law firms said they found flaws in the school district’s policies and procedures when it came to reporting and responding to allegations of misconduct against school system employees. OIG still was working on a report concerning the process and potential issues and areas for improvement.

One of Felder’s first orders of business as interim superintendent came Tuesday afternoon. She and other members of the school board held a discussion detailing how the school system can begin implementing OIG’s recommendations on best practices moving forward.

During that discussion, Board President Karla Silvestre said some new practices are already in place. Moving forward, she said the board will update OIG every 90 days on its progress and bring in experts to help address concerns and increase oversight of the school board.

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Felder said in a press conference Tuesday she recognizes there’s a lot of work to be done to fix what’s broken in MCPS, and hopes there’s a renewed focus on teaching and learning going forward.

In naming Felder as interim superintendent, the board noted that she would bring 32 years of experience in public education to the role. Among other positions in her career, Felder served as superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in North Carolina. The board said most recently, Felder had been coaching and mentoring principals in New Jersey and “working with forward-thinking superintendents in North Carolina on identifying and implementing innovative programs.”

Felder started her career with MCPS, serving as a classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal. Felder served as the director and supervisor of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction for MCPS for six years and and Director of the Interventions Network for one year before moving to Prince George’s County Public Schools as the Executive Director for Teaching and Learning.

During a press conference following her appointment Tuesday afternoon, Felder addressed concerns about her professional past, including allegations that she accepted outside payments and failed to disclose them during her time as the head of the Nashville school system. She says those allegations were determined to be unfounded and centered around paperwork issues.

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Soon after the decision, Felder sent an email reintroducing herself as the Interim Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools saying:

To many of you, I am not a new face, but rather a returning one with a career spanning 32 years in education, deeply intertwined with the fabric of this incredible district.

To me, joining the Montgomery County Public Schools team feels like a homecoming. I have deep roots in this district, having served at every level, from being a classroom teacher, which I absolutely loved, to a central office administrator. My journey has been a testament to the opportunities and support this community has provided me. I have more than three decades of experience as an educator, beginning as a classroom teacher, progressing to a principal right here in MCPS, and eventually serving in the role of Chief Academic Officer in another district. Most recently, I served as the superintendent of Orange County Schools in North Carolina.

After nearly a decade away from MCPS, I am honored, humbled and thrilled to be back in the district that shaped me as an educator and leader. As a mother of three and a grandmother of five, I understand firsthand both the joys and challenges of raising children in today’s world. My commitment to the students and families of this district is unwavering. 

In my role as the interim superintendent, my primary focus is to create stability for our district. I aim to provide consistency for our staff, students, and families and to ensure a smooth transition for the next superintendent. My goal is to close out the 2023-24 school year strong, with an uncompromised focus on what matters most: our students.

I will be actively present in our schools, classrooms, hallways, and the community at large. I am eager to listen to you, to learn about your immediate challenges and points of pride and to build your trust in me through transparency and engagement. I am committed to being an approachable leader who values the voices of all stakeholders.

I am serving as an interim superintendent to allow our school board time to hear from you, our community, about the values and skills you’d like to see in the next district superintendent. Your input will be invaluable in shaping the future of MCPS.

In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to meeting with principals, staff, teachers, students, families, and the broader Montgomery County community. Together, we will ensure that our students have everything they need to succeed.

Thank you for your warm welcome back to MCPS. I am excited to work alongside you all to provide the best possible educational experience for our students.

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