PGCPS Superintendent Resigns During School Board Meeting

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — The superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools resigned during a closed door meeting Thursday night.

At its June 12 meeting, the Prince George's County Board of Education and PGCPS Superintendent Millard House II met and mutually agreed to separate their employment relationship effective June 18. House's contract was to run through 2027.

"The superintendent has provided bold ideas and actions that have set the system on a path for continued improvement. The time spent at PGCPS benefited the overall system and allowed for the superintendent to place another solid brick in the wall of ever continuing educational success for the students and teachers of Prince George's County," the education board stated Friday.

In their statement, PGCPS board highlighted House's achievements during his time with the district, such as increasing the graduation rate to now over 80%.

The Prince George’s County Educators’ Association had expressed concerns about the superintendent's ability to move the district forward. Last week, Prince George’s County educators cast no-confidence votes in the superintendent at an emergency virtual meeting held Wednesday night, Patch reported previously.

However, the union representing county administrators pushed back after the association announced their vote, saying they were "blindsided."

“We’re not saying that Mr. House is perfect,” Jeffrey Parker of the Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel told NBC Washington. “Obviously, there are concerns that we have as well, but nothing that would reach the level of dismissal or removal from the job.”

At a May school board meeting, Prince George's County educators held a protest outside the building to highlight their concerns about what they see as staffing shortages, burned out employees and overcrowded classrooms.

“We want to thank former Superintendent House and the Prince George’s County School Board for putting the needs of the district’s students and their families first. We would also like to thank Mr. House for his service as superintendent," the educators' association stated. "We look forward to continuing our work together with the School Board and a new administration to ensure that every student receives a first-rate education and every educator has the tools they need to succeed.”

The president of the union, Donna Christy, spoke with FOX 5 after the no confidence vote last week.

"We are desperate for strong leadership, our school system is not in a healthy place, too many vacancies, payroll is often missed, people don’t get paychecks randomly — Our staff feels disrespected, does not have faith that anything’s gonna change," Christy said.

Prince George's County Executive-elect Aisha Braveboy issued a statement after the Thursday school board meeting, saying, “I’m grateful to Superintendent House for his service to our county’s schools over the last two years. Ending his tenure was — as it should be — a mutually agreed upon decision between the superintendent and the Board of Education. As county executive-elect, I am committed to ensuring every child in our county has access to a world-class education and the opportunity to succeed."

So what happens next week when House's contract is done?

Historically, the country executive nominates a school superintendent. Next week, Braveboy will be sworn in as Prince George's County's next county executive. After that, she can then nominate a candidate for the school board to vote on.

"Education is a top priority for my administration and given the turn of events, I intend to move quickly to identify an interim superintendent with the skills and experience to provide a meaningful bridge of leadership and continuity as I work to identify the right candidate to lead and elevate our school system to the level of academic excellence we want for our young people," Braveboy said in a statement.