New Interim Superintendent Monique Felder

[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.

She was making HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars and inadvertently did not report a one time FOUR thousand dollar payment that was unrelated to her job. There is no big story here as much as you want it to be. You sound dumb. I make more than she did and sometimes receive income intermittently for random side work. This is not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Orange Co, NC, is a tiny district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

First lady?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

She was making HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars and inadvertently did not report a one time FOUR thousand dollar payment that was unrelated to her job. There is no big story here as much as you want it to be. You sound dumb. I make more than she did and sometimes receive income intermittently for random side work. This is not a big deal.

LOL You are so lucky to not notice when $4,000 falls in your lap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

She was making HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars and inadvertently did not report a one time FOUR thousand dollar payment that was unrelated to her job. There is no big story here as much as you want it to be. You sound dumb. I make more than she did and sometimes receive income intermittently for random side work. This is not a big deal.

LOL You are so lucky to not notice when $4,000 falls in your lap.

If you think people making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year check their bank account balance every day or would otherwise notice a change in $4,000 you're really naive. Or perpetually poor. Or both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

She was making HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars and inadvertently did not report a one time FOUR thousand dollar payment that was unrelated to her job. There is no big story here as much as you want it to be. You sound dumb. I make more than she did and sometimes receive income intermittently for random side work. This is not a big deal.

And yet, she was required to report it. Public agencies ask for this information to help employees avoid conflict of interest.

[Anonymous]

Oh gosh, I hope she really is just an interim and they hire someone else for the long-term job. She just doesn't sound like she has the experience to take this on. She was fired from running a tiny school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/02/05/new-proposed-interim-superintendent-has-baggage/

Yes, Felder definitely has had some bumps along the way. These things need to be investigated if she wants a permanent job. For right now, she has the experience and certification to do the job on an interim basis. I would be pleased if she is a nice person who can handle stress. The staff is battered after McKnight's bullying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh gosh, I hope she really is just an interim and they hire someone else for the long-term job. She just doesn't sound like she has the experience to take this on. She was fired from running a tiny school district.

Classic MCPS BOE JV move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

She was making HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars and inadvertently did not report a one time FOUR thousand dollar payment that was unrelated to her job. There is no big story here as much as you want it to be. You sound dumb. I make more than she did and sometimes receive income intermittently for random side work. This is not a big deal.

And yet, she was required to report it. Public agencies ask for this information to help employees avoid conflict of interest.

Absolutely, but in looking at the reporting on this, it seems like she consulted on the same conference two years in a row. The first year she reported it. The second year she didn't. That's sloppy, but it doesn't feel malicious. It certainly doesn't feel career-ending.

As for her broader qualifications, I actually LIKE that she has a focus on more equitable approaches to gifted education. That suggests that she thinks gifted education is generally a good thing, just that qualified kids of color, poor/working class kids, and kids with special needs have been historically overlooked. I agree! Good! Let's do a better job with identification, but keep the programs. That's the best we're doing to get in 2024, and it's probably right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

She was making HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars and inadvertently did not report a one time FOUR thousand dollar payment that was unrelated to her job. There is no big story here as much as you want it to be. You sound dumb. I make more than she did and sometimes receive income intermittently for random side work. This is not a big deal.

And yet, she was required to report it. Public agencies ask for this information to help employees avoid conflict of interest.

Absolutely, but in looking at the reporting on this, it seems like she consulted on the same conference two years in a row. The first year she reported it. The second year she didn't. That's sloppy, but it doesn't feel malicious. It certainly doesn't feel career-ending.

As for her broader qualifications, I actually LIKE that she has a focus on more equitable approaches to gifted education. That suggests that she thinks gifted education is generally a good thing, just that qualified kids of color, poor/working class kids, and kids with special needs have been historically overlooked. I agree! Good! Let's do a better job with identification, but keep the programs. That's the best we're doing to get in 2024, and it's probably right.

You nailed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Former president, obviously!

[Anonymous]

She’s got baggage too. Why can’t they find some who has embezzled money or on the take. This is more that disgusting.

And they are not looking for another candidate. She will move from interim to the super. Same thing they did with Monifa. What a waste of time and money!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Failure to file an accurate financial disclosure, especially when the relationship was previously disclosed, would be absolutely nothing if the BOE hadn’t mischaracterized the report. The BOE does no one any favors at all. McKnight definitely needed to be terminated but the BOE needs to go too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

PP here - you’re right, I mixed two things up. She was superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in NC which has 7K students. (She was chief academic officer in Nashville). Regardless, my point stands. Is being superintendent of a system with 7K students enough prep to be superintendent of one of the largest school systems in the country?