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MCPS reports diversified teacher hires this year but board presses for more pipeline detail
Summary
Human resources staff said 645 teachers were hired for 2024–25 with 51% identifying as racially/ethnically diverse; board members sought detailed counts by school level, subject and clearer Grow Your Own pipeline tracking for Asian and Hispanic candidates.
Montgomery County Public Schools human resources staff reported to the board’s Strategic Planning Committee on May 13 that the district hired 645 new teachers for the 2024–25 school year and that 51% of the new hires identified as racially or ethnically diverse.
April Key, Chief of Human Resources and Development, described a strengthened internship pipeline aimed at increasing diversity, including four professional-development days for interns, a dedicated Canvas classroom, regular newsletters, and campus engagement with historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions. Key said the district deepened partnerships with the University of Maryland, Towson University, American University, Bowie State University and Montgomery College and encouraged interns to substitute teach to gain broader experience.
Key reported the new-hire breakdown as: 285 white hires (44%), 110 Black or African American hires (17%), 112 Hispanic hires (17%), 91 Asian hires (14%), 15 identifying as other and 32 who chose not to disclose. Key also reported 44 principal hires this season and said 60.4% of principal hires were candidates who identify as racially or ethnically diverse.
Board members asked for additional detail and tracking. Chair Brenda Wolf asked for absolute counts rather than percentages for principals and teachers. Rita Montoya requested breakdowns by school level (elementary, middle, high), gender and subject area to identify patterns such as low numbers of male elementary teachers or underrepresentation in core subjects. Ally Zimmerman and Montoya asked whether the district is systematically engaging students who might pursue teaching careers and tracking them through college so they can return as MCPS hires.
Key said the district’s Grow Your Own program is managed from the recruitment office and partners with Towson, Bowie State and the University of Maryland to reduce costs for employees seeking teacher certification; she said she would provide additional information on whether the district is tracking high school or college students who indicate interest in education careers.
Key also described supports for principals in highly impacted schools: 36 principals participated in targeted professional learning with TNTP and other partners; 14 MCPS administrators joined the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents National Principal Academy and the district reported other cohorts to develop the principal pipeline. The district said that, among highly impacted schools (those with FARMS rates of 40% or higher), 63.5% of principals have three or more years of experience, 13.9% are in their third year and 22.6% are in their first or second year.
There was no formal vote. Committee members asked staff to return with requested disaggregations, counts in addition to percentages, and details on outreach efforts specifically targeted to Asian and Hispanic prospective leaders and teachers.
