Braveboy to choose next superintendent from three PGCPS finalists

Prince George’s County Public Schools is down to three unnamed superintendent finalists, and County Executive Aisha Braveboy now controls who gets the job leading a district of more than 132,000 students across about 200 schools. The choice will shape how Maryland’s second-largest school system handles student performance, staffing, transportation, safety and the fiscal discipline parents and educators have been demanding.

The state search committee sent the three finalists to Braveboy on Friday, May 8, moving the process into its final stage. Their names were not made public. Under Maryland law, Braveboy must choose from the three nominees recommended by the statutorily defined committee, the Prince George’s County Board of Education must complete the appointment by June 30, and the Maryland State Superintendent must approve it.

That final decision lands after a bruising leadership transition. Former superintendent Millard House II stepped down in June 2025 after a vote of no confidence from the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association. The district later said House’s departure was a mutual agreement to separate the employment relationship. Braveboy then appointed Dr. Shawn Joseph as interim superintendent, and Joseph is serving through June 30, 2026.

The search has been structured to pull in as much public input as possible. A countywide survey on the superintendent profile closed March 27 and drew more than 8,600 responses. PoliHire, the executive search firm supporting the process, also worked with local groups during national recruitment to help shape the leadership profile. County officials said they wanted a transparent process with input from parents, students, educators and the broader community.

The finalists are being judged against a demanding list of priorities: stronger academic outcomes, narrower achievement gaps, better fiscal and operational management, and closer collaboration with educators, families and community partners. That makes the job about more than a personnel change. The next superintendent will inherit unresolved pressure points that reach from classrooms in Upper Marlboro and Largo to bus routes, school budgets and the public’s confidence in county leadership.

The search committee itself was led by Dr. James C. Bell Jr., a Maryland State Board of Education member, with Prince George’s County residents Jennifer Avelar and Gordon L. Sampson serving as the other members. Braveboy has framed the pick as a chance to restore confidence in the school system and put measurable progress ahead of symbolism. With the interim term running out at the end of June, the county’s next education leader is about to be chosen under a deadline that leaves little room for delay.