Dr. Melvin Brown: Montgomery Public Schools superintendent
Reynoldsburg City Schools Superintendent Dr. Melvin Brown has been selected as the next Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent.
Brown, who has been Reynoldsburg, Ohio, superintendent since 2017, was selected from four finalists, including Lawrence (Kansas) Public Schools superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis, KIPP Public Schools (Texas) Deputy Chief of Academics Dr. Marla Sheppard and Griffin-Spalding County (Georgia) Schools Deputy Superintendent Dr. Donald Warren.
Selma City Schools Dr. Avis Williams had been a finalist, but she withdrew from consideration after being selected as New Orleans (Louisiana) schools superintendent.
Alabama Association of School Boards conducted interviews with the board and the community before announcing the finalists in March. Concerns from the community included transparency. Questions from the board during the interview process included fiscal management, holding teachers accountable and how to conduct a smooth transition.
Brown was announced at a special school board meeting on Friday. The interviews had taken place earlier in the week and the previous week.
More about the MPS superintendent search:
Brown holds a doctorate from Ohio State University in Educational Studies, a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Education Administration, and a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in English.
He’s been a visiting professor at Ohio State University; deputy superintendent at Cuyahoga Falls City Schools; director of human resources at Cuyahoga Falls City Schools; regional vice president at Mosaica Education, Inc.; associate director of ROSworks, LLC; principal at Spotsylvania County Public Schools; associate superintendent at Prince William County Public Schools; principal/ supervisor of multicultural education at Prince William County Public Schools.
During public interviews at a chamber of commerce event, Brown stressed the theme of equity. He spoke about equity issues at his own school, recounting how gifted middle school kids were all sent to a separate school. They struggled when they returned to the traditional schools, so he eliminated the separate school and had them attend programs in their zoned schools.
Brown has said he is interested in having committees made up of students and teachers to better understand feedback.
The next superintendent will be entering the school system with a lot of changes.
MPS came out from under state intervention in December, for financial and achievement deficiencies.
Five of the seven school board seats are up for re-election, with one incumbent, Jannah Bailey, choosing not to run again.
Concerns around the coronavirus remain, and the school system will soon have money from the ad calorem tax.
Jemma Stephenson is the children and education reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at [email protected] or 334-261-1569.
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