Editor’s note: This story, which was originally posted at 7:05 p.m. on Feb. 2 was updated at 10:05 a.m. on Feb. 5 to include additional statements from county leaders.
Here’s a look at what local leaders are saying about Superintendent Monifa McKnight’s “mutually agreed separation” from Montgomery County Public Schools.
MCCPTA President Debby Orsak
“The mission of MCCPTA has never wavered. We stand ready to continue our work in partnership with MCPS during this transition, and we are prepared for a new season where we can return the focus to our children and to supporting our families and school communities.”
County Councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6)
“Today the Montgomery County Board of Education and Dr. Monifa McKnight have mutually agreed to separate, immediately. I look forward to working with MCPS to provide a world-class education for every student, and a place where every teacher and staff feels proud to work for.”
County Councilmember Dawn Luedtke (D-Dist. 7)
“The announcement today that Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight is leaving her positions provides new leadership, but it does not provide answers.
“Without a detailed and public explanation of the school system’s failures in the matter of Joel Beidleman, MCPS and the Board of Education will have failed in their collective commitment to transparency and accountability. I will continue to advocate the County Council use all appropriate measures to pursue these answers. Anything less would be a disservice to the public, whose trust in our school system is justifiable broken and must be restored.”
County Councilmember Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4)
“Over the course of the last year, a great deal has come to light that has led to the erosion of trust with the school system. As we move forward, it is imperative that we center next steps on supporting our MCPS students and educators.”
County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles (D-At-large)
“It’s unfortunate, but I respect the decision of the @MCPS Board of Education and Dr. McKnight to mutually separate. We remain committed to seeking accountability and transparency so our students, teachers, and faculty feel safe at school and have the resources needed to thrive.”
Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1)
“We respect the BoE and Dr. McKnight’s mutual agreement to separate today. Public schools are our most indispensable resource. As @MCPS navigates through this leadership transition, we must ensure that educational outcomes, workplace culture, and public trust are at the forefront.”
County Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe (D-Dist. 2)
The departure of the MCPS Superintendent is, by no means, the end of the conversation. We have a lot of work to do to make sure our students, teachers, and administrators have the trusting environment they deserve. Our focus must be on the ultimate goal of educating our kids.
County Councilmember and Education and Culture Committee Chair Will Jawando (D-At-large)
“While the Board of Education and Dr. McKnight have parted ways, this change cannot disrupt the critical work ahead. I will continue to focus on transparency, accountability and reform to ensure students, teachers, & staff have the resources they need to learn, grow, and succeed.”
Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Dist. 20)
“The Montgomery County School Board acted without accountability or transparency in ushering the departure of Dr. Monifa McKnight. It raises serious concerns about their leadership and the future direction of our school system.
Under Dr. McKnight’s leadership, MCPS schools and students made critical progress in early literacy at all grade levels, improved in elementary school math, and began closing achievement gaps. She led this progress in the wake of a pandemic that deeply impacted achievement and learning loss.
Dr. McKnight courageously launched an Antiracist System Action Plan to combat systemic racial issues in our schools and support our most marginalized students.
Her departure is a loss for our school system at a time that we need strong leadership to tackle the many challenges our system faces.
I thank Dr. McKnight for her passionate service and wish her the absolute best.”
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D)
“As a former teacher, a MCPS graduate, a grandparent of a current student, and as County Executive, I am very concerned about what happens in our schools. I have been following these recent events even though as County Executive I don’t have a role – the County government provides funding for the schools but does not have authority over the school system.
“As I demonstrated last year during the budget process, I am committed to funding the schools and making sure they have the resources they need. Our schools are critically important to the well-being of the county at every level, so what happens there is impactful on the County as a whole.
“To be clear, at no point has the Board of Education discussed the current issues with me. We still don’t know what happened and who did what; we don’t know the roles of different people, and we don’t know why the Board of Education asked Dr. Monifa McKnight to step down. There is a lot we do not know.
I want to note that Dr. McKnight took the helm of the school system at a very difficult time, and I know that she was committed to the students. I appreciate her service, and I wish her well.
“I also appreciate that the Board of Education said they need to rebuild trust, but I want to note that rebuilding trust is not going to be as simple as hiring a new superintendent: some of the policies and problems, including issues around sexual harassment, go back many years and preceded Dr. McKnight’s tenure as superintendent. As an example, the Inspector General’s report referenced one report from 2019 before Dr. McKnight was superintendent.
“Going forward, the MCPS administration and the Board will need to work with the dedicated teachers, school staff and the greater school community to address the issues the school system is currently facing.”
Montgomery County Council
“Since 2021 Dr. Monifa McKnight has led Montgomery County Public Schools through critical and difficult times, overseeing one of the nation’s largest school systems in the unprecedented aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. The Council respects the decision of the Montgomery County Board of Education and Dr. McKnight to mutually separate and will remain in close contact with Board of Education members as they begin the process to identify a new superintendent. We are confident that the Board of Education will work collaboratively with an interim superintendent to maintain continuity of operations for students and their families throughout the search and appointment process.
“While the Council has no official role in the selection of a superintendent, we encourage the Board of Education to provide regular public updates as it navigates this leadership change. We also thank our outstanding teachers, principals and educational support staff for all they do each day to educate our 160,000 students and for their ongoing commitment to Montgomery County Public Schools.”
Montgomery County Board of Education
“Today the Montgomery County Board of Education and Dr. Monifa McKnight have mutually agreed to separate, effective February 2, 2024. The Board is grateful to Dr. McKnight for her many years of service to MCPS and public education. We wish her well in her next chapter. The Board will work together with staff to ensure a smooth transition.
“The Board is aware of the important work ahead. We must rebuild trust, begin to heal, and ensure that our school system is equipped to serve the students, staff, and families who make up our great school community. In the coming days, we will begin a national search for a new superintendent. On February 6, 2024 the Board will name an interim superintendent to lead the system through the remainder of the 2023-24 school year. In the short term, Brian Hull, Chief Operating Officer, will serve as acting superintendent.
“The Board’s priorities moving forward include upgrading and ensuring compliance with internal policies, procedures, and operations; improving internal and external communications and outreach; and most importantly, supporting schools in providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive.”
Departing Superintendent Monifa McKnight
“As the superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), I have been committed to serving children and their educational needs for 23 years. It has been my purpose in life to give every single student a high-quality education that will open the doors to any opportunity they pursue. I can remember my first day in the classroom in MCPS in August of 2001 when I fell in love with the children I served, the school that supported them, the families who connected with the children, and the many colleagues who alongside me committed our life’s mission to this work. To this day, it still gives me that joy when I walk into classrooms in our great system and see this same love and joy in action.
“However, in life things change, and I have lived long enough to understand that. But I am aware of ‘My Why,’ and that must be focused on the students and those who serve them. I have felt over the past several months, there has been a distraction. When the focus is no longer on whom I have agreed to serve, I must control my own fate. I have also maintained that it is critical that my reputation remains grounded in facts and truth. Effective today, after careful reflection, prayer, and willingness to demand fairness, I have reached a mutually agreed separation with the Board of Education.
“As the MCPS superintendent since the pandemic, my vision has been ‘All Together Now,’ which required us to work together on behalf of our students. While it is abundantly clear that my vision for the system can no longer come to fruition, I know that we are on the right track, so continue the great work for our students!
“I just shared yesterday with over 450 principals, administrators, central office staff, and district leaders the progress that has been made in early literacy when comparing Fall 2023 with Fall 2024, as we make strides to overcome the impact the pandemic had on the achievement and social-emotional well-being of our students and staff. That progress is a direct result of the dedicated staff who implemented the priorities I identified to improve teaching and learning, which started with our theory of action:
“If we differentiate resources and support, build staff capacity, and implement accountability structures, then we will have clarified expectations for what students and adults should know and be able to do, increased adult expertise, and improved student learning outcomes.
“The results listed below are factual data points that are a result of successful implementation of that theory of action:
“Early Literacy Progress: The fall 2023 assessment results indicate progress in students’ foundational reading skills. Across all grade levels, a greater percentage of students scored at or above benchmark compared to fall 2022. Specifically, 49.9% of kindergarten students, 58.0% of Grade 1 students, and 60.4% of Grade 2 students achieved at or above benchmark status.
“Immersion/Language Program Results: Students in the One-Way Immersion (OWI) and Two-Way Immersion (TWI) programs took the Lectura assessment and also demonstrated improvements. In fall 2023, 58.3% of kindergarten, 50.6% of Grade 1, and 51.5% of Grade 2 students scored at or above benchmarks on the Lectura assessment, highlighting positive gains compared to fall 2022.
“Elementary school mathematics: Based on the students who have completed their Grade 3 mathematics district assessment, the results from first quarter to second quarter have increased significantly in schools where we have invested in an instructional math coach—with up to a 35-percentage point gain. More specifically, across the district, based on preliminary results, elementary schools have achieved a 25.4 percentage point increase in the number of students who are demonstrating understanding on the district assessment for multiplication and division. And schools with our mathematics coaches have exceeded the average district growth, with between 25.7 and 42 percentage point gains.
“Closing Gaps Academically: We have committed to eliminating predictability by race/ethnicity in educational outcomes. While gaps persist, progress is evident in DIBELS and Lectura results across racial/ethnic groups. Improvement is happening with students at or above benchmark by racial group in 2022 versus 2023 and is as follows: 75.9% vs. 77.4% Asian, 56.4% vs. 61.5% Black or African American, 28.6% vs. 34.6% Hispanic/Latino, 64.7% vs. 69.9% Two or More Races; and 65.8% vs. 68.6% White. These are significant rises in student achievement and although greater improvement is needed, this data shows movement in a positive direction in literacy development.
“These factual data points have been achieved in collaboration with some of the most skilled staff that I have had the pleasure of working alongside over my 23 years in MCPS. MCPS staff are very deserving of the approximately 7% salary increase received at the beginning of this school year and the at least 3% raise set for July 2024 as a result of a successful 2-year agreement with the associations. These are the largest increases ever provided for our staff, who are most deserving of it.
“I will always put children in the forefront because they are the future leaders, business owners, homeowners, and parents of Montgomery County. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve our students, staff and families. This community is near and dear to my heart, and you have left a lasting impression on me. You should know that I will take all that I have learned, endured, and lifted — combined with my faith and foundation — to continue to serve in significant ways in my next journey.
“For every student that I inspired and served, continue to be and do your best. For every staff member, remember your ‘why’ to fill your cup daily; and to our parents, thank you for entrusting me to serve your children. It was an honor to do so.”