On Feb. 2, the Montgomery County Board of Education and Dr. Monifa McKnight mutually agreed to part ways. On March 15, Montgomery Perspective reported that the former superintendent was paid $1.3 million in the wake of the separation. This settlement finding comes against the backdrop of a county-wide budget freeze.
In response to the publication of the separation agreement, the Board released a statement, which did not directly reference McKnight or any details on the separation agreement. “All decisions the Board makes are made in the best interest of our students and our school system,” Board president Karla Silvestre said. “It is imperative that anything that distracts from high-quality teaching and learning is minimized.” The board is once again placed on the defensive in situations regarding the superintendent and failure to give the community any concrete clarity.
The large sum of the settlement shows discrepancies between the details outlined in McKnight’s contract. In the contract, it reads, “the severance shall be the only amounts owed to the Superintendent, and the Superintendent shall not be entitled to recovery of damages or any other amounts.” McKnight was hired in 2022 to a four-year $320,000 contract; this places her as one of the top-paid school leaders in Maryland. However in the settlement, 1.1 million dollars was categorized as covering “agreed upon wages.”
Additionally, a major piece of the settlement was a mutual non-disparagement agreement. These clauses effectively shut down discussions regarding the circumstances surrounding the separation, leaving the rest of the community in the dark about many of their questions surrounding the former superintendent.
The Washington Post reported that board members asked McKnight to step down from her position on Jan 22. “I will defend my reputation and my decades-long commitment to the students and families of MCPS and will demand that the considerations of my role as superintendent are made through a fair, legitimate and legal process—anything less would be unacceptable,” McKnight said in a statement.
The school board met in a closed session after the release of McKnight’s statement to receive legal advice. About the legal matters outlined by both parties, it is notable that the settlement mentions that MCPS has agreed to cover $30,000 of McKnight’s attorney fees.
“It seems exorbitant,” former county board of education member, Jill Outman-Fouse said in an interview with the Washington Post. “It also seems weird that MCPS would be paying for her personal attorney fees.”
Upon the release of the settlement the Board wrote, “All decisions the Board makes are made in the best interest of our students and our school system.” Programs throughout the county are facing potential budget cuts, yet the county is supposed to believe that the board has its best interests in mind.
McKnight failed our county, failed our students and failed our staff. Yet our community is forced to sit back and watch her receive over one million dollars, while teachers across the county lack access to tissues. Once again, students and staff are left in the dark while MCPS protects high-up officials. MCPS needs to start placing its priority on actually helping and serving its staff and students.
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