McKnight takes over June 1
May 25, 2021 | 10:43 pm
May 26, 2021
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Montgomery County Public Schools’ interim leader will receive a one-year salary of $295,000, a monthly travel stipend and police protection if needed.
Monifa McKnight, the first woman to lead the state’s largest school district, has secured a contract largely comparable to retiring Superintendent Jack Smith’s.
McKnight has served as Smith’s second in command since August 2019 and was seen by some board members as the “obvious choice” to step in and guide the district through the 2021-22 academic year.
The next year is expected to be challenging as the bulk of students reacclimate to schools after an extended absence, trying to learn from home, due to COVID-19.
Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland still have hundreds of students who want to return to classrooms now but are stuck on a waitlist.
A total of 615 students across Montgomery County were waiting for schools to get them back into classrooms as of Wednesday morning. On March 31, there were more than 15,000 students wait-listed.
“We had schools that had sometimes 80% of their total population wanting to return,” said Janet Wilson, chief of teaching, learning and schools for Montgomery County, during a school board meeting on Tuesday.
She said 342 a majority of the wait-listed children are elementary school students, followed by 129 at middle schools and 144 in high schools.
Plus: Rockville woman wins $1.4M lottery prize; Wootton senior advocates for students with disabilities after fire drill Bethesda Beat Staff |
May 7, 2021
MCPS administrator lives in Georgia
One of the highest paid employees in Montgomery County Public Schools moved to Georgia last summer, according to real estate records.
In February 2020, Superintendent Jack Smith announced that Kimberly Statham was given a “special assignment,” traveling coast to coast to recruit teachers focusing specifically on diversity hiring. [Fox 5]
Rockville woman wins $1.4M lottery prize
A 20-year-old Rockville woman won a $1.4 million Maryland Lottery prize on a Multi-Match quick-pick ticket.
She purchased the ticket at the Giant grocery store at 625 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. [Maryland Lottery]