Draft:Monifa McKnight

Monifa McKnight is a lifelong American educator and superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

Superintendent

Appointment

Jack R. Smith was superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools from 2016 to 2021. In 2021, he ended his contract three years early to resign, due several issues such as: medical issues with his grandson, to be with his family in Maine, and unspecified issues regarding the COIVD-19 Pandemic. This move surprised members of the Board of Education, who expected him to at least fulfill his contract until 2024. Smith had known McKnight for several years, and appointed her as the Deputy Superintendent in 2019. In Montgomery County, the Board of Education is a group of elected members who set the school district's policy, while the superintendent is tasked with enforcing policy and leading the district.

In June 2021, Smith stepped down and McKnight automatically assumed the role as the Interim Superintendent. An appointment as a superintendent requires a vote by the Board, who held off on confirming her until other avenues to find better-fitting canadites were exhausted. For the next year, MCPS lead a nation wide search for possible superintendents, involving more than 5,000 people and a county wide-effort. In February 2022, the school district announced that McKnight was the best candidate out of 4 finalists.

In a unanimous vote, the school board appointed her as superintendent, making McKnight the first woman and second African-American to hold the position. McKnight accepted the position in tears, thanking those to her, especially her son who came to watch her on his birthday. When asked why MCPS appointed McKnight after looking for county outsiders, the county Board of Education President stated, "In short, Dr. McKnight’s experience and vision make her uniquely qualified to lead MCPS at this critical time and into the future.” She also received support from County Executive Mark Elrich and the County Board, allowing her to assume the role on 1 July, 2022.

Controversies

COVID-19 Response

Issues with MCPS's reopening following COVID-19 lockdowns started in February 2021, during Smith's reign. The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), a union which represents 17,000 educators in the county, announced that a large majority of its members were opposed to MCPS's plan to initially reopen following closures due to COVID. The union stated that the county should not reopen, as the district lacked resources.

These aforementioned complaints extended to McKnight's leadership, with many now concerned about the district's overall approach and communication to a COVID-19 outbreak in early 2022. This issue came to a head on 13 January 2022, when McKnight held a virtual meeting to address personal shortages and a policy regarding a return to virtual school for certain students. The public's reception to the meeting was lackluster, with many leaving feeling that their concerns were not addressed and that the information shared created more questions and uncertainty.

Teacher's Union Motion

The same day as McKnight's meeting, MCEA announced results from a vote of no confidence. Approximately 94% of 7,000 responding members voted that they had 'No Confidence' in either McKnight's or the board's ability to lead the school district. The union cited members' disapproval to both McKnight and the board's lack of a coherent plan in responding to COVID that created a dangerous work environment due to a lack of testing and failure to address a recent surge in local cases. The resolution itself had no power to affect policy, yet it did serve to illustrate the unpopularity of McKnight's leadership.

District-Wide School Safety

Montgomery County introduced a series of reforms to school security following George Floyd's murder and the greater movement to reform police. These reforms included the removal of stationed police officers (SEOs) from school grounds and McKnight promising to hire more social councilors.

In January 2022, a school shooting occurred at Col. Zadok Magruder High School, wounding a 15-year-old student. In December, the school board was sued alleging that the removal of SEOs, failure by McKnight to hire enough councilors, and missed warning signs was responsible for causing the shooting. It was also alleged that these issues also compromised the safety of MCPS and put students at risk.