The Montgomery County Board of Education has identified a finalist for the position of  superintendent of schools—Dr. Jack R. Smith, who is currently the interim state superintendent of Maryland schools and former superintendent of schools in Calvert County Public Schools in Prince Frederick, Maryland.

Today, the Board of Education met at the Carver Educational Services Center (CESC) at 850 Hungerford Drive, in Rockville and unanimously approved the conditional appointment of Dr. Smith. Today’s action is a prelude to a series of public meetings to be scheduled in the near future for the community to meet Dr. Smith prior to his assuming the job as superintendent in July. The meetings will allow parent, business, education, civic and community leaders and the community at large to meet with Dr. Smith. 

The Board and our search consultants reviewed the applications and credentials of more than 70 candidates who applied and/or were recruited from all over the United States, and conducted interviews with 11 candidates with diverse backgrounds and experience, serving mid-sized to large districts.

“Since the inception of the search for a new superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools, the Board has met with several very impressive candidates from all over the nation”, said Mr. Michael Durso, Board president. “After a rigorous process, the Board is excited about working with Dr. Smith as the next superintendent of schools. He comes to us with extensive experience in K–12 education, and new insights on delivering instruction in today’s classroom.”

Dr. Smith has extensive experience working at the state level leading the Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Teaching and Learning, and over three decades experience as a teacher and school and central office administrator in the United States and Asia. His particular strengths include supporting effective instructional programs, budgeting, systems thinking, return on investment analysis, and efficiency and effectiveness in operations. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Smith has earned a reputation for encouraging and helping school-based staff to learn and use innovative strategies to promote the success of children in the classroom.

Community engagement was a crucial part of the search for the superintendent of schools. Dr. Smith met with a community panel of Montgomery County stakeholders, assembled by the Board president, to provide feedback to Board members and help them arrive at a decision on the appropriate candidate. In the coming weeks, a contingent of the Board will be in touch with stakeholders and Dr. Smith’s colleagues. Based on the outcome of this feedback, contract negotiations, and obtaining state approval, the Board plans to hire Dr. Smith as the next superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools effective July 1, 2016.