Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Reed criticizes Montgomery school board process, urges leadership that 'fixes the pain' in schools
Summary
Mayor Steven L. Reed said the school board's handling of its superintendent search undermined trust and stressed the need for leadership focused on improving reading, math and attendance.
Mayor Steven L. Reed criticized the Montgomery school board's recent superintendent search process and urged the district to hire leaders who can improve academic outcomes.
On the Mayor's Take podcast, Reed said the city needs "best in class" leadership in the school system and cautioned against removing a nationally recognized superintendent for reasons of personal disagreement. "You don't push out a superintendent who is nationally recognized ... because you don't get along with him," Reed said. He added, "You gotta trade up," arguing that any replacement should clearly be an improvement.
Why it matters: Reed linked school leadership to student performance and to the city's ability to recruit and retain higher-paying jobs. He said Montgomery remains behind on reading and math scores and on absenteeism and that community leaders must “challenge parents” and teachers to improve outcomes.
Reed referred to the superintendent search directly, saying the process as conducted undermined trust because it was not forthcoming or transparent. He identified a “pain in our school system” that he said requires leaders who will address academic shortfalls, not leaders selected primarily for personal compatibility. Reed also noted his personal stake: his wife is a teacher and the city must support classroom effectiveness.
Reed referenced one individual by name from the search, saying, "Dr. Byrd may be a nice guy," and added that the priority should be who can improve student results. He did not specify a timeline for further city-level involvement or any formal remedies the mayor’s office would pursue; his remarks were framed as commentary and a call for community involvement rather than a policy action.
Reed also framed education as linked to public safety and economic health: he said strong schools are key to workforce readiness for the high-paying jobs the city is recruiting. He reiterated that the city has added nearly 5,000 jobs since he became mayor and said employers ask about workforce capacity when deciding to locate here.
Ending: Reed urged the public to take part in school oversight and community engagement, and he urged the school board to adopt transparent, improvement-focused hiring practices.
