Board wants Monifa to step down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be careful what we wish for mcps families. Agree BOE members may know more than we know, something's gotta come out!

We could do better or worse. But the BOE is just as bad as she is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BOE's fault. They wait this long to finally stop being yes-women. Monifa will get a nice golden parachute, or she'll sue for wrongful termination. The board never gave her previous warnings about her incompetence will be her defense.

And it'll cost us taxpayers...

Ding ding ding. Correct answer. I am smelling a big payout to force her out. If only she advocated as hard for the kids she will now for her golden parachute…

The equity folks had their turn with this pick. Can the next Superintendent bring real experience and success? I nominate DMV local Jon White formerly state superintendent for New Orleans.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_White_(Louisiana_politician)

[Anonymous]

McKnight releasing a statement to the press and accusing the board of impropriety is a PR move on her part. We don't know what Silvestre and Harris actually said to her, nor what they may have been communicating to her all along.

[Anonymous]

BOE made this bed and now they should lie in it. When McKnight first came on the scene we said where in the heck did she come from? It seemed she came back to the county out of thin air. Then she got a vote of no confidence and the board still hired her. So now you want her to step down? Why pass on this mess to someone else? Let her stay and attempt to clean up this mess while looking for a new super. If you force it she will fight, go on leave, and clear more than a million bucks while sitting on leave for the remainder of her term. Not to mention the legal fees. Nope, let her stay for the clean up, then do the non renewal. It will take us that long to sucker someone into taking this job. We are a hot mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When is her contract up for renewal?

July 1, 2026. MD law requires 4 year superintendencies.

Really? State law micromanaging boards...

I looked through law and regulations and didn't see this. Although, I have no idea where to expect to find it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did not think she was returning after her medical leave. That was when she could have exited. The school system is too large for one Super! Aren't some of the BOE members up for election this year? Are they the ones pushing her out to show us they are using their oversight powers. Woohoo BOE! Most high schools or even the middle schools have multiple Assistant Principals. so should the Supers office to handle various needs.

Great. Can they all be in their eighties?

[Anonymous]

MoCo360: "From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. the Board of Education is scheduled to hold a closed session virtual meeting to “receive legal advice regarding a personnel matter regarding to the status of employment for an employee,” a school board resolution stated. "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McKnight releasing a statement to the press and accusing the board of impropriety is a PR move on her part. We don't know what Silvestre and Harris actually said to her, nor what they may have been communicating to her all along.

I could believe the board did this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BOE made this bed and now they should lie in it. When McKnight first came on the scene we said where in the heck did she come from? It seemed she came back to the county out of thin air. Then she got a vote of no confidence and the board still hired her. So now you want her to step down? Why pass on this mess to someone else? Let her stay and attempt to clean up this mess while looking for a new super. If you force it she will fight, go on leave, and clear more than a million bucks while sitting on leave for the remainder of her term. Not to mention the legal fees. Nope, let her stay for the clean up, then do the non renewal. It will take us that long to sucker someone into taking this job. We are a hot mess.

Not quite out of thin air. She came from being a shive for Discovery Channel Education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t imply discrimination but it does imply a PR move on the BOEs part, and frankly if it’s that she is correct. If they have supported all her plans and have not given her an evaluation that reflects low performance then she doesn’t have to step aside without cause or her own desire to do so.

If they want her gone then either go through the correct process to fire her or don’t renew her contract when it comes up.

+1
Totally a PR move on BOE part. Someone wants to look like they are doing something, so let’s just be reactionary and force Dr. McKnight out.

It’s also very shortsighted- who’s going to finish dealing with the Beidelman fallout? Too many other top leaders implicated and gone. At least let her finish this first round of adjustments.

Honestly, the timing makes me wonder if someone on the BOE is protecting someone else? What’s the next OIG report going to say? Is some of the adjustments getting too close to something BOE doesn’t want exposed?

If BOE doesn’t want Dr. McKnight anymore, just say they aren’t renewing her contract now, and start the search for the next superintendent now. That process takes a long time anyway, and we’ve already had the case of forcing out Starr and then having an interim superintendent for a year because no one decently qualified wanted the job. I can’t imagine this being any easier now.

+1. The BOe trying to get rid of McKnight like she’s a CEO w/ stock options and a golden parachute package. She is right for calling them out. And the fact that she has to makes them and the district look worse. Particularly after they let her bring in all these retirees to help out.

I’ve yet to hear them speak with detail about how they want to see oversight done in the future or how they will be changing their process/meetings to ensure better understanding and oversight from the board level. So until their communication and community visibility improves they don’t get a pass either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The board needs to step down along side her.

This

[Anonymous]

Hey Board,
Get back to strong academics and cut everything else.

[Anonymous]

Don't really care about McKnight. We need to cut bloat in the Central Office and focus on classroom and actual education instead of all the nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ “The Board has never written, documented, or communicated any concern about my performance, and through the evaluation process has consistently affirmed that I have met expectations,” McKnight said in the statement. “For these reasons, I’m concerned that its actions are based on something other than my performance, which would constitute a violation of my contract.””

Is she alleging racism? Sexism? Other bias?

She could just allege that they aren't transparent with their feedback.

[Anonymous]

Ask the hard questions, us mcps voters before you select your BOE! Election year, let's do better this year choosing the BOE.