Maryland Education Committee Launches Search for New Prince George's Schools Chief

A no-confidence vote stripped Prince George's County of its last permanent schools chief. Now a three-member state committee holds the authority to shape the next hire, and the application window closes April 22.

The Maryland Department of Education search committee formally began accepting applications for a permanent superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools this week, pressing forward under a legal clock that requires County Executive Aisha Braveboy to make her selection before June 1. The Prince George's County Board of Education must then complete the appointment by June 30, the same date interim superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph's contract expires.

The committee is chaired by Dr. James C. Bell Jr., a member of the Maryland State Board of Education appointed to lead the search by State Superintendent Dr. Carey M. Wright on March 2. Bell serves alongside Jennifer Avelar and Gordon L. Sampson, both named to the committee by Gov. Wes Moore. Under Maryland Education Code Section 4-201.1, the three-member panel will screen applicants, conduct background checks, interview candidates, and deliver a shortlist of three finalists to Braveboy. The state superintendent holds final approval, a structure that places the hiring decision above the elected county school board in the chain of authority.

"We remain committed to a transparent, inclusive, and thoughtful process," Bell said. "Over the coming weeks, committee members will carefully assess each applicant's qualifications, leadership experience, and vision for advancing student achievement."

The next hire will step into one of the most pressured posts in the region. PGCPS is the second-largest school system in Maryland, enrolling roughly 133,000 students across more than 200 schools. The district has operated under interim leadership since June 2025, when Braveboy appointed Joseph to replace Millard House II after the teachers' union gave House a vote of no confidence. Since then, the district has been navigating a proposed $150 million budget reduction, persistent chronic absenteeism, ongoing teacher vacancies, and a $6 million investment in AI-powered school safety systems announced in January.

Whoever emerges from the April 22 applicant pool will serve a four-year term and inherit those unresolved pressures alongside the structural complexity of a governance model that assigns shortlisting authority to a state-appointed panel while leaving accountability for 133,000 students squarely on the county.