Prince George's County teachers look to oust superintendent following vote of no confidence
PGCPS teachers hold vote of 'no confidence' in superintendent
The Prince George's County Teacher's Union held a vote of no confidence tonight to remove the school district's superintendent. It comes after months of warnings from the union about their staffing crisis.
PRINCE GEORGE'S CO., Md. - The Prince George's County teachers union held a vote of no confidence on Wednesday, aiming to remove the school district's superintendent, Millard House II.
It comes after months of warnings from the union about their staffing crisis.
What we know:
The final vote came down around 8 p.m. Wednesday night — and it passed. It was not unanimous but overwhelmingly supported.
They debated for some time as there were some concerns about whether this major decision could impact current negotiations but ultimately, the frustration of the teachers' union boiled over to this moment where they’re taking action to get rid of public schools superintendent Millard House II.
PGCEA President Donna Christy spoke on the record about the growing dissatisfaction among educators.
"It doesn’t make us happy to make this move. We are desperate for strong leadership. Our school system is not in a healthy place — too many vacancies, payroll is often missed, people don’t get paychecks randomly," Christy said. "Our staff feels disrespected, our teachers don’t not have faith that anything’s going to change."
"There are such a lack of teachers that they have to carry the weight of those vacancies, that’s an impact on the students, not having the leadership in their classroom. They don’t have a teacher who has the time to do the best lessons that they can do," she continued.
Dig deeper:
Superintendent House has been in this role for nearly two years. Since March, PGCPS has been in negotiations with the union. Just a few weeks ago, dozens of teachers from Prince George’s County were outside a school board meeting protesting the staffing issues at their public schools, calling the shortage dangerous. The president says teachers are also dealing with often hostile administrators, staff safety concerns, on top of low pay and heavy workloads.
Superintendent House released a statement to FOX5 Wednesday night, touting the school system's accomplishments from rising graduation rates to investments in safety, citing a 46% drop in school incidents. But he adds, in part:
"I have consistently met with PGCEA leadership to address concerns around working conditions over the last two years with great success. Their latest effort to distract from the real progress and skew public opinion to influence our good-faith negotiations is disheartening."
What's next:
So where do things go from here?
Superintendent House says he plans to continue negotiations with the teachers' union. The union president says she hopes Wednesday night’s vote sent a clear message, and she hopes the school board will take further action.
Word-for-word:
Full statement from Superintendent Millard House II:
"Since joining Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) as Superintendent in July 2023, I have strategically focused on what matters most: delivering real results for our students and families.
PGCPS’ graduation rate rose to beyond 80%, a nearly 6 percentage point increase and testament to the progress we’re making, specifically with our students who have historically faced some of the greatest barriers.
This is why we do what we do.
We have also transformed recruitment efforts to bring the nation’s best educators and support staff to our classrooms, even in a competitive labor market. Thanks to the commitment of our bus drivers and operations staff, we overhauled transportation, boosting on-time performance to nearly 85%, with a new bus app under consideration following community input.
Our investments in school safety are also paying off. Our most recent data shows a 46% drop in student incidents and a 37% reduction in contraband. Weapons-related incidents and contraband seizures have declined significantly, making our schools safer.
Most recently, PGCEA rejected the most comprehensive proposal of any PGCPS administration to raise starting educator salaries, an impactful 24% over three years through cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) and step increases — a proposal honoring the vital role of our teachers, and safeguarding the district’s long-term stability. This would immediately make PGCPS one of the most competitive in the state of Maryland.
I have consistently met with PGCEA leadership to address concerns around working conditions over the last two years with great success. Their latest effort to distract from the real progress and skew public opinion to influence our good-faith negotiations is disheartening.
We remain steadfast and focused on what truly matters: the success of our students and the momentum we’re building every day. I look forward to reaching a fiscally responsible agreement that works towards the honor and recognition all educators deserve, while maintaining the best interests of our students."