MCPS retools central office around cross‑functional teams to put staff into schools

Montgomery County Public Schools has reorganized its central office into 13 cross‑functional teams that are assigned directly to clusters of schools, officials told the Montgomery County Council’s Education and Culture Committee on Sept. 11. The change is intended to reduce administrative layers, put central‑office expertise “in the schools,” and align central services with each school’s improvement plan.

The reorganization consolidates specialized units — including curriculum, special education, equity, restorative practices and student support — so those staff are part of a cluster team and are present on school sites an expected 80% of the week, Dr. Moran, a member of the MCPS leadership team, said at the committee meeting. “One of the keys to cross‑functional teams has been taking out essentially the middle person and having this direct 1 to 1,” Moran said.

District leaders said the teams are meant to deliver more equitable, differentiated support rather than equal distribution of services. “If I have a school that demonstrates significant needs based off of either their student achievement data, their chronic absenteeism, more intensive…