Montgomery board selects Dr. Zakiya Byrd as superintendent after heated debate and public appeals to pause search

The Montgomery County Board of Education voted on April 8 to hire Dr. Zakiya Byrd as the district's next superintendent following a nationally conducted search and several hours of discussion and public comment.

Board Chair Erica Watkins Smith called the meeting to order and presided as representatives of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) reviewed the search process and the slate of finalists. Dr. Joseph, senior consultant for HYA, told the board the firm conducted a national search, collected community input through surveys and 17 focus groups, reviewed 46 applications and presented a vetted slate of finalists before the board (Dr. Joseph, Senior Consultant, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates). "The process was rigorous. The process was open," Dr. Joseph said, adding that background checks of finalists showed no criminal records or substantiated illegal conduct.

The search and the board's deliberations drew repeated public appeals for the board to pause the selection process so the community could regain confidence.…