ROCKVILLE, Md. — In Montgomery County, the public school system has chosen an alum as its next superintendent.
The Montgomery County Board of Education announced the appointment of Dr. Thomas Taylor Monday after a nationwide search to replace former superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight, who resigned in February. Taylor is currently serving as the superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools, overseeing 33 schools with more than 31,000 students in Virginia's eighth-largest school district. By comparison, MCPS serves over 160,000 students across 211 schools, and is the largest school district in Maryland.
Taylor has been with Stafford County Public Schools since November 2021, and was named Region III Superintendent of the Year in May.
"Dr. Taylor cares deeply about Montgomery County where he was raised and educated," said MCPS Board of Education President Karla Silvestre. "He recognizes the challenges facing MCPS and is ready to lead the district forward."
Silvestre says this is the third time she assisted in finding a new superintendent candidate. She noted that Taylor has more than 25 years experience as an educator, more than 12 years in district-level leadership and six years as a superintendent. He has both a doctorate in education from UVA and an MBA from William and Mary.
"We were very impressed with Dr. Taylor's joint skillset of being an instructional leader, an experienced superintendent but also having that finance background," Silvestre said.
Silvestre also commended Taylor's emphasis on communication in an effort to boost transparency.
"If something doesn't go well, we own it, and we hold ourselves accountable and we are responsible when things don't go well," Taylor said.
Taylor's nomination comes at time when the school district is grappling with building trust with the community. The search for a new superintendent started back in February following Dr. McKnight's departure amid criticism for how the district handled sexual harassment and bullying allegations against a former principal. Dr. Monique Felder has served as Interim Superintendent of Schools since McKnight resigned.
"I humbly ask for the opportunity to earn your trust as we move forward," Taylor said Monday. "I know this will take time."
Byron Johns with Montgomery County's NAACP Chapter said building trust in the community is not going to be immediate, considering the size of the school system and the national politics trickling down.
"There are no silver bullets," Johns said. "Nobody is going to ride in like a white knight and fix this over night."
Johns said he hopes Taylor will focus on what he says really matters, which he says is, "improving teaching and learning, in literacy and math."
The school board is set to vote on Dr. Taylor's appointment at its regularly scheduled business meeting on June 25. Officials told WUSA9 they expect a unanimous vote in support of Taylor.
As for Stafford County Public Schools, they are calling a special meeting Tuesday afternoon to appoint an interim superintendent, while they search for someone to permanently fill the role.
In a statement, the Stafford County Public School system said:
"Dr. Taylor has been an exceptional leader, who has served the county and our students with distinction since November 2021. During his time with Stafford Schools, he oversaw significant advancements in staffing, salaries, and educational opportunities for all students. While Stafford County is losing an exceptional superintendent, we will move forward with the same commitment to our students and their preparation for excellence as we begin the search for our next superintendent. We thank Dr. Taylor for his leadership and wish him success in his future endeavors."
WATCH: Press conference announcing Dr. Taylor's position.
RELATED: Report finds years-long issues in the way Montgomery County Schools handled employee complaints
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