New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder

[Anonymous]

THIS is the best this board could come up?!? I can imagine there are a ton of qualified candidates out there vying to lead MCPS and this is who we conjured up? wow. Having grown up in PG County where MCPS always seemed like the jewel in the state crown of school systems, how far we have fallen from grace. too bad I still have years to go in this system before my kids are out but this is just disappointing.

[Anonymous]

What I love about all of you naysayers is that you act like you are wealthy parents in a private school and that someone should care about your opinion. It doesn't work like that for public school parents. If you want that level of influence and involvement, pay for private school. But since you can't shut up. The Superintendent has to serve the WHOLE county, not just you in your aging 1970's houses just so you can to a 'W' school.

As Jay-Z said, call me when your bank account grows up. Until then no one cares what you think. You just don't matter enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I love about all of you naysayers is that you act like you are wealthy parents in a private school and that someone should care about your opinion. It doesn't work like that for public school parents. If you want that level of influence and involvement, pay for private school. But since you can't shut up. The Superintendent has to serve the WHOLE county, not just you in your aging 1970's houses just so you can to a 'W' school.

As Jay-Z said, call me when your bank account grows up. Until then no one cares what you think. You just don't matter enough.

You think a school district that regularly pisses off and offends parents like this is going to thrive and succeed? You are in for a rude awakening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BOE does not care about the public's opinion. They know and heard about the backlash to this but they feel untouchable. This is disgusting.

I can't imagine the public even has an opinion about her.

Then you haven't been paying attention to the chatter on social media.

It is always a mistake to believe that the chatter you see in your social media bubble represents public opinion.

If you count the random Moco FB groups as "social media" then yes but everyone knows they are filled with the re-open MCPS rejects and nutjobs from 2020. I wouldn't rely on them for anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:THIS is the best this board could come up?!? I can imagine there are a ton of qualified candidates out there vying to lead MCPS and this is who we conjured up? wow. Having grown up in PG County where MCPS always seemed like the jewel in the state crown of school systems, how far we have fallen from grace. too bad I still have years to go in this system before my kids are out but this is just disappointing.

Nobody wants this job.

The BOE is a disaster, staff morale is incredibly low and challenging demographics make it an impossible school district to manage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I love about all of you naysayers is that you act like you are wealthy parents in a private school and that someone should care about your opinion. It doesn't work like that for public school parents. If you want that level of influence and involvement, pay for private school. But since you can't shut up. The Superintendent has to serve the WHOLE county, not just you in your aging 1970's houses just so you can to a 'W' school.

As Jay-Z said, call me when your bank account grows up. Until then no one cares what you think. You just don't matter enough.

Sadly, you’re right. Parents (and teachers) don’t matter in MCPS at all.

At least MCPS is Equitable in that regard. The BOE and Central Office don’t care what the parents at Einstein or Kennedy think. And they also don’t care what the parents at Churchill and Wootton think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS is the best this board could come up?!? I can imagine there are a ton of qualified candidates out there vying to lead MCPS and this is who we conjured up? wow. Having grown up in PG County where MCPS always seemed like the jewel in the state crown of school systems, how far we have fallen from grace. too bad I still have years to go in this system before my kids are out but this is just disappointing.

Nobody wants this job.

The BOE is a disaster, staff morale is incredibly low and challenging demographics make it an impossible school district to manage.

"no one wants the job"??

I'm sure there are plenty of people who want a 300k job leading one of the largest school systems in the country. What a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The following statement is sent on behalf of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

The Montgomery County Board of Education is planning to vote to appoint Dr. Monique Felder as interim superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) at their Board meeting on Tuesday.

Dr. Felder brings 32 years of experience in public education, including as superintendent for Orange County Public Schools in North Carolina, where she was nominated as regional superintendent of the year.
Prior to her superintendency, she served as the Chief Academic Officer for Metro Nashville Public Schools (TN), as an executive director for Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD), and as a teacher, the Director of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction, and Director of the Interventions Network for MCPS.

“Dr. Felder has a long and successful career in public education, and is already familiar with MCPS,” said Karla Silvestre, President of the Board of Education. “We are confident that her background in district leadership, instruction and administration makes her the right person to carry us through this transition and begin the work to rebuild trust among staff and the community, while we identify the next permanent superintendent.”

Dr. Felder started her career with MCPS, serving as a classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal. During her time with MCPS she was recognized with the International Reading Association’s Award for Exemplary Reading Programs in the state of Maryland, and as a finalist for the Washington Post’s Outstanding Leadership Award. She served as the director and supervisor of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction for MCPS for 6 years and and Director of the Interventions Network for one year before moving to Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD) as the Executive Director for Teaching and Learning.

While serving as the Chief Academic Officer for Metro Nashville Public Schools (TN) she leveraged her leadership skills and instructional expertise to outpace the state in literacy achievement, raise SAT scores, and decrease suspensions. She also oversaw an increase in the number of students graduating with an associate’s degree or certificate, and an increase in graduation rates for all students while significantly improving graduation rates for students who had traditionally been underserved.

During her four years as superintendent of Orange County Schools in North Carolina, she was unanimously nominated as the regional superintendent of the year by the Board and staff for her work boosting academic achievement.

A native of New York, Dr. Felder holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from York College (NY), a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University (MD) with a specialization in elementary science and mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA), where she studied the effective leadership behaviors and practices of principals in elementary schools serving predominantly students of color.

She has also pursued post-doctoral studies at McDaniel College earning an advanced certificate in Equity and Excellence in Education, and is co-author of the book Increasing Diversity in Gifted Education: Research Based Strategies for Identification and Program Services. In 2022, she was selected as a collaborating author of STEM Century: It Takes a Village to Raise a 21st Century Graduate, with a chapter entitled: “You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: Increasing Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity in STEM-Careers.”

Most recently, Dr. Felder has been coaching and mentoring principals and assistant principals in New Jersey and working with forward-thinking superintendents in North Carolina on identifying and implementing innovative programs.

In the vein of transparency, the Board wants to make it clear that they are aware of a prior investigation into the financial disclosure reporting of an honorarium received by Dr. Felder from an educational consulting company in 2019. The Board has reviewed the findings and is confident that the findings were unsubstantiated as the report concluded. The Board is confident that Dr. Felder is a trustworthy, upstanding and highly respected educational leader who will be able to competently guide MCPS through this transition.

The Board of Education will vote to appoint Dr. Felder to the role of interim during their Board meeting starting at 11:00 a.m. on tomorrow, Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

The Board meeting can be viewed live via https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/. Meetings are also cablecast live on Comcast Channel 34, Verizon FIOS Channel 36, and RCN Channel 89, and are rebroadcast at 1 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday following the meeting.

She is the perfect fit for MCPS. Her goals align with the goals of the school system, county leadership and the BOE.

I appreciate the Board heading off any speculation with their attempt at transparency about the honorarium.

Except they mischaracterized the underlying report, which DID find that Felder failed to disclose the income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The following statement is sent on behalf of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

The Montgomery County Board of Education is planning to vote to appoint Dr. Monique Felder as interim superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) at their Board meeting on Tuesday.

Dr. Felder brings 32 years of experience in public education, including as superintendent for Orange County Public Schools in North Carolina, where she was nominated as regional superintendent of the year.
Prior to her superintendency, she served as the Chief Academic Officer for Metro Nashville Public Schools (TN), as an executive director for Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD), and as a teacher, the Director of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction, and Director of the Interventions Network for MCPS.

“Dr. Felder has a long and successful career in public education, and is already familiar with MCPS,” said Karla Silvestre, President of the Board of Education. “We are confident that her background in district leadership, instruction and administration makes her the right person to carry us through this transition and begin the work to rebuild trust among staff and the community, while we identify the next permanent superintendent.”

Dr. Felder started her career with MCPS, serving as a classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal. During her time with MCPS she was recognized with the International Reading Association’s Award for Exemplary Reading Programs in the state of Maryland, and as a finalist for the Washington Post’s Outstanding Leadership Award. She served as the director and supervisor of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction for MCPS for 6 years and and Director of the Interventions Network for one year before moving to Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD) as the Executive Director for Teaching and Learning.

While serving as the Chief Academic Officer for Metro Nashville Public Schools (TN) she leveraged her leadership skills and instructional expertise to outpace the state in literacy achievement, raise SAT scores, and decrease suspensions. She also oversaw an increase in the number of students graduating with an associate’s degree or certificate, and an increase in graduation rates for all students while significantly improving graduation rates for students who had traditionally been underserved.

During her four years as superintendent of Orange County Schools in North Carolina, she was unanimously nominated as the regional superintendent of the year by the Board and staff for her work boosting academic achievement.

A native of New York, Dr. Felder holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from York College (NY), a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University (MD) with a specialization in elementary science and mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA), where she studied the effective leadership behaviors and practices of principals in elementary schools serving predominantly students of color.

She has also pursued post-doctoral studies at McDaniel College earning an advanced certificate in Equity and Excellence in Education, and is co-author of the book Increasing Diversity in Gifted Education: Research Based Strategies for Identification and Program Services. In 2022, she was selected as a collaborating author of STEM Century: It Takes a Village to Raise a 21st Century Graduate, with a chapter entitled: “You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: Increasing Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity in STEM-Careers.”

Most recently, Dr. Felder has been coaching and mentoring principals and assistant principals in New Jersey and working with forward-thinking superintendents in North Carolina on identifying and implementing innovative programs.

In the vein of transparency, the Board wants to make it clear that they are aware of a prior investigation into the financial disclosure reporting of an honorarium received by Dr. Felder from an educational consulting company in 2019. The Board has reviewed the findings and is confident that the findings were unsubstantiated as the report concluded. The Board is confident that Dr. Felder is a trustworthy, upstanding and highly respected educational leader who will be able to competently guide MCPS through this transition.

The Board of Education will vote to appoint Dr. Felder to the role of interim during their Board meeting starting at 11:00 a.m. on tomorrow, Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

The Board meeting can be viewed live via https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/. Meetings are also cablecast live on Comcast Channel 34, Verizon FIOS Channel 36, and RCN Channel 89, and are rebroadcast at 1 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday following the meeting.

She is the perfect fit for MCPS. Her goals align with the goals of the school system, county leadership and the BOE.

I appreciate the Board heading off any speculation with their attempt at transparency about the honorarium.

Except they mischaracterized the underlying report, which DID find that Felder failed to disclose the income.

It's not the first time the board has either lied or been misled. Which makes them a poor fit for their oversight role.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not wading into the other issues above but I do wonder about her ability to do this big of a job. Nashville has just over 7K students. Doesn’t MCPS have over 160K? Pretty big jump in size of responsibilities.

Metro nashville has over 80k students. Unless Dr Felder came from somewhere else in Nashville area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS is the best this board could come up?!? I can imagine there are a ton of qualified candidates out there vying to lead MCPS and this is who we conjured up? wow. Having grown up in PG County where MCPS always seemed like the jewel in the state crown of school systems, how far we have fallen from grace. too bad I still have years to go in this system before my kids are out but this is just disappointing.

Nobody wants this job.

The BOE is a disaster, staff morale is incredibly low and challenging demographics make it an impossible school district to manage.

"no one wants the job"??

I'm sure there are plenty of people who want a 300k job leading one of the largest school systems in the country. What a joke.

Salary only gets you so far. The US Presidency only comes with a 400k salary. But no one takes the job because of the salary. The y take it because it’s the penultimate position in politics. It comes with power, prestige, opportunity, legacy, and an almost certainty to make money after departing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If Jesus Christ became Superintendent, some of you would find something to complain about.

Or we'd settle for someone who wasn't fired or canned early from her last two gigs. You don't need to nail yourself to a cross to meet that criteria, drama queen.

I mean also I would bet the majority of posters here don't find Jesus Christ to be their savior...smh

[Anonymous]

Please remember that they have to rush to get someone in; Brian Hull is the Acting Superintendent, and I think he was named as someone even more directly involved in the Beidleman coverup than McKnight (or, at least directly involved). Cleaning house needs to be more than McKnight, and I'm sure that he's earned his spot on that list.

That being said... MCPS needs to get its budget set with the county council's timeline as well, but beyond that... MCPS might just be too big to have a single person as its superintendent. I don't think anyone who applies for the job will be A) a positive force for the system, B) interested in doing the job 'for the kids' and C) 'qualified' or meeting the requirements set out. We need all three, and I think we're only getting C) at best.

Schools were open today. This drama hasn't trickled down to classrooms yet, except maybe the high schools if it's come up, but it's above the kids. The Superintendent position is only important because it pays well and our system is designed to rely on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS is the best this board could come up?!? I can imagine there are a ton of qualified candidates out there vying to lead MCPS and this is who we conjured up? wow. Having grown up in PG County where MCPS always seemed like the jewel in the state crown of school systems, how far we have fallen from grace. too bad I still have years to go in this system before my kids are out but this is just disappointing.

Nobody wants this job.

The BOE is a disaster, staff morale is incredibly low and challenging demographics make it an impossible school district to manage.

"no one wants the job"??

I'm sure there are plenty of people who want a 300k job leading one of the largest school systems in the country. What a joke.

Salary only gets you so far. The US Presidency only comes with a 400k salary. But no one takes the job because of the salary. The y take it because it’s the penultimate position in politics. It comes with power, prestige, opportunity, legacy, and an almost certainty to make money after departing.

If it’s the penultimate, what’s the ultimate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I love about all of you naysayers is that you act like you are wealthy parents in a private school and that someone should care about your opinion. It doesn't work like that for public school parents. If you want that level of influence and involvement, pay for private school. But since you can't shut up. The Superintendent has to serve the WHOLE county, not just you in your aging 1970's houses just so you can to a 'W' school.

As Jay-Z said, call me when your bank account grows up. Until then no one cares what you think. You just don't matter enough.

Think that if it makes you feel better. (Even some who are in those "aging 70's houses" could buy a couple of yours.)