Dr. Naya Hamlet, head of equity and organizational development at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), briefed the Education and Culture Committee on the status of the anti‑racist audit action plan and described steps to move commitments from planning into monitored implementation.

"Antiracist commitments only move when they are grounded in written expectations, monitored for implementation, and tied to outcomes," Hamlet told the committee, summarizing the briefing’s central theme. She said the audit’s action steps are being embedded into MCPS’s strategic plan scorecards and school improvement plans (SIPs) so equity expectations are part of regular performance review rather than a time‑limited initiative.

Hamlet and other staff gave a candid status update: while structures such as cross‑functional teams (CFTs) and division‑level owners have been established, implementation remains uneven across the district’s 211 schools. Hamlet described early progress in clearer ownership and timelines but said that without dedicated system equity leadership and visible, updated tracking, some work risks stalling.

Committee members pressed staff on concrete indicators and leadership vacancies. Hamlet confirmed the director of system‑wide equity position has been posted, that MCPS has screened candidates and conducted multiple interview rounds, and that the district aims to present a candidate to the school board in the coming weeks with a target name in February. "One of the biggest challenges is finding highly qualified candidates who are ready to do the work," she said, describing a rigorous multi‑stage hiring and performance task process.

Members also questioned how PD and accountability would translate to classroom outcomes. Hamlet said more than 1,000 central office employees have engaged in equity‑focused learning and that leader learning for principals is in its second year; she emphasized that participation alone is not sufficient and urged tying professional learning to measurable school and classroom outcomes. Staff described a mix of equity specialists (six in number) and 13 professional learning specialists, seven of whom have restorative justice training; councilmembers said that staff capacity is thin and that targeted investment is needed.

Discipline data and disproportionality were a major focus. Councilmember Mink cited recent board materials showing an 80% increase in in‑school suspensions and a 28.7% increase in out‑of‑school suspensions comparing September 2024 to September 2025. MCPS staff said some of the in‑school increase reflected corrections in how incidents were classified and that persistent disproportionalities remain for Black and brown male students and for students with disabilities. Officials described ongoing work to calibrate discipline reporting, broaden restorative practices, and target interventions through tiered CFT supports.

Hamlet proposed modifying the anti‑racist action‑plan tracker so it is embedded on strategic plan and equity pages and better reflects what remains to be done versus what has been integrated. The committee requested clearer dashboard metrics, a breakdown of who has completed specific PD modules and outcome measures, and further updates on the equity director hire and the student achievement map data (a system‑wide data presentation anticipated after the school board receives it); Hamlet said she would provide those follow‑ups.

The committee did not take formal action. Members said they expect continued updates and asked staff to return with refined metrics, tracker revisions and staffing implications for future budget discussions.