Urge the County Executive to have a thorough and transparent PGCPS CEO recruitment process

Dear County Executive Alsobrooks,

Given the recent retirement of our current school CEO Dr. Monica Goldson, you are tasked with the responsibility to select a successor to Dr. Goldson and we recognize the incredible weight this decision holds. We are writing to express the importance of facilitating an inclusive and transparent process which involves all stakeholders in the process for selecting a new schools CEO.

This process must include a search committee which consists of at the very least representatives from your office, the county council, elected school board representatives, school system unions, relevant community organizations, and representatives from the County delegation. Each of these stakeholders must play a role in helping you to lead a national search for our next CEO in order to identify a CEO with a broad range of experiences and skills to meet our systems many needs including, implementing the Kirwan recommendations as well as the community schools program, increasing the number of Latinos in senior leadership roles in the system, and raising our overall academic performance.

As you already know, the CEO plays a crucial role in the functioning and success of our schools. They are responsible for setting the vision and direction of the district, as well as making key decisions that impact the education and well-being of our students. It is therefore essential that all stakeholders, including students, parents, school system staff, and community members, have a say in the selection of this important leader.

Allowing all stakeholders to participate in the selection process ensures that the selected candidate will have the support and buy-in of the community. It also gives the opportunity for a diverse range of perspectives and experiences to be considered, which can lead to a more well-rounded and effective leader.

Furthermore, involving all stakeholders in the selection process can help build trust and confidence in the chosen candidate and the school board. Also, given the diverse challenges our school system faces and the tense political climate with regards to the Board of Education. An open process with key community stakeholders involved demonstrates a commitment to transparency and inclusivity, which are essential values for any successful organization. In addition to this, a quality process such as this will likely yield an even higher quality selection by increasing the level of input and scrutiny for applicants so that we ensure we find the best possible person.

In conclusion, we strongly encourage the inclusion of all stakeholders in a highly inclusive  process for selecting a new schools CEO. By doing so, we can ensure that the chosen candidate will have the support and diverse perspectives needed to lead our schools to success.

Sincerely,

The Prince George’s Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools and All those Undersigned