The new superintendent of Montgomery County’s public school system is set to be appointed on Monday night — and while board members are keeping a tight lid on the new superintendent’s identity, it’s probably not Kate Middleton.
The school board is scheduled to appoint Jerry Weast’s successor at a 7 p.m. meeting in Rockville, according to an alert the school system sent out late last week. The agenda puts the meeting at 30 minutes, so it’s safe to say the decision has been made.
Officially, the appointment is on a “conditional” basis, meaning it hinges on working out a contract that all parties agree on. The state superintendent — the retiring Nancy Grasmick — also has to sign off, according to state law.
The school board hired national search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to locate its candidates, whom they interviewed earlier this month. The consultants ran into a tiny bit of trouble last time they selected a superintendent for Montgomery, but they eventually landed on Weast.
Weast announced his plans to retire this June at the beginning of the school year, ending his reign at 12 years, and making himself one of the nation’s longest-serving superintendents of large school districts.
In March, Weast joked that the job was less about policy and legislative tasks, and more about “numerous events where you get to wear a Dr. Seuss hat, learn about pie, and other things that are out there.”
A big party has been scheduled for May 20 to celebrate Weast’s legacy with the school system, which was a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, and recently won a Malcolm Balridge National Quality Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
