Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Board of Education appointed Dr. Monique Felder as interim superintendent Tuesday.
The appointment comes after the former superintendent, Dr. Monifa McKnight, resigned on Friday. The Board unanimously confirmed Felder’s appointment at the start of their meeting, receiving cheers from those in attendance.
“Dr. Monique Felder served 22 years in Montgomery County Public Schools and has deep knowledge of the system,” said Board President Karla Silvestre. “That will serve to support the district during this period of transition as the board conducts a national search to identify a permanent superintendent.
Felder’s work in Montgomery County includes teaching positions at Poolesville and Cedar Grove Elementary and her role as assistant principal at Field Elementary.
Before accepting her new position, Felder was superintendent for Orange County Public Schools in North Carolina, where she was nominated as regional superintendent of the year.
Felder parted ways with Orange County last summer, saying the “alignment of our work was misaligned” at a press conference following her appointment.
The Board continues to search for a candidate to fill a more permanent role as superintendent. Silvestre said that there would be a nationwide search to find the right candidate, but called Felder the right person to lead them through a transitional period.
“We already have strong teachers that have strong principles, but we need more. And so we have to ensure that we’re able to not only attract the staff, but we also have to be able to support them in order to retain them,” said Felder. “There are 160,000 children who are counting on me and counting up on all of us.”
Silvestre said the appointment of Felder will start the process of rebuilding trust between MCPS and the public.
“Recent activities have served to be a distraction to the core purpose of this system, which from my perspective, should be providing quality education and educational opportunities to every student,” said Barry Moultrie, Pastor at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, to the Board. “We need all of you to do your jobs with transparency, integrity and honesty.”
Board of Education Appoints Dr. Monique Felder as Interim Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools https://t.co/bk5j4QXQnM pic.twitter.com/DRz5D7YzuF
— MCPS (@MCPS) February 6, 2024
