Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight sent a message to MCPS staff on Wednesday, October 11, announcing that deputy superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy was no longer employed by the district. The message, provided to us by MCPS Communications Director Chris Cram, also states that two members of the MCPS Office of School Support and Well-Being (OSSWB), Dr. Donna Redmond Jones and Dr. Eugenia (Jeanie) Dawson are currently on leave.
Dr. Patrick Murphy was appointed as the MCPS deputy superintendent in 2022, a position previously held by Dr. McKnight. He was recently superintendent of Berkeley County Schools in West Virginia until 2022 and previously superintendent of Arlington Public Schools and in various instructional leadership positions in Fairfax County Public Schools. The message sent to staff can be seen below (note: We have been told by several MCPS staff members that they have not received this message):
Dear Colleagues:
I am writing to provide you an update regarding personnel changes in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Dr. Patrick Murphy, deputy superintendent, is no longer employed by the district. I want to thank Dr. Murphy for his service to MCPS and wish him well in his future endeavors.
Within the Office of School Support and Well-Being (OSSWB), Dr. Donna Redmond Jones and Dr. Eugenia (Jeanie) Dawson are currently on leave. To minimize any disruptions, Dr. Peter Moran, associate superintendent, and Mr. David Adams, acting associate superintendent, will be providing supervision to the schools and other staff under Dr. Redmond-Jones and Dr. Dawson in the days ahead. They will follow up with additional details tomorrow, October 12, 2023.
I recognize that leadership transitions may be challenging, and we will continue to update you on any additional staffing changes.
In addition, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Brian Stockton, chief of staff, with any questions at [email protected].
Thank you for your commitment to our staff, students, and communities.
Sincerely,
Monifa B. McKnight
Superintendent of Schools
News of the change(s) made by MCPS was first reported by Moderately MoCo.