The new schools CEO, Millard House II, met with Bowie residents to introduce himself and talk about his plans for the school system, focusing on communication and community engagement while addressing concerns about teacher retention and school safety. He’s committed to listening to parents and making informed decisions, all while emphasizing that he wants to improve the perception of local schools.
Here are the highlights:
- Millard House II, the new CEO of Prince George’s County Public Schools, met with Bowie residents to introduce himself and answer questions.
- House was appointed by County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and previously served as schools chief in Houston and Clarksville-Montgomery County.
- He emphasized his focus on learning about the county school system and engaging with parents, teachers, and stakeholders.
- House acknowledged the challenges facing the school system, including the potential closure of Pointer Ridge Elementary due to low enrollment.
- He aims to improve communication about the school system’s successes and increase awareness of advanced learning programs.
- Concerns raised by parents included teacher hiring and retention, as well as school safety.
- House plans to collaborate with local colleges to recruit diverse teachers and address staffing shortages.
- He advocates for a balanced approach to school safety, including the use of trained resource officers and proactive community engagement.
- Local leaders expressed cautious optimism about House’s leadership and community engagement efforts.
- House has a personal connection to the school system as his son will be starting middle school there.
- He has a background in education, starting as a physical education teacher and advancing to various leadership roles.
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New Schools Chief Meets Bowie Residents
Millard House II, the new Prince George's County Public Schools CEO met Bowie residents this week at City Hall, introducing himself and taking questions from parents.
House was appointed schools CEO in July by County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The CEO manages county public schools under the direction of the Prince George's County Board of Education.
House previously served as schools chief for the Houston Independent School District in Texas and the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System in Tennessee.
Introducing himself as a candid problem-solver, House indicated that since taking on the job last month, he's been focused on learning the ins and outs of the county school system and meeting with parents, teachers, students, and stakeholders.
"I've been listening and I've been learning. When I took this job, I came in with eyes wide open about the realities of the local public schools, the good and the challenges," he said.
House made few promises about specific policy decisions, such as the recommendation of the county school system to close Pointer Ridge Elementary in Bowie, currently at 48% enrollment. "I can't tell you what I'll do except that I will listen to everyone and make my decisions based on the best information we have," he told parents.
Among his broad priorities are focusing on better communicating success stories within the school system. "We have a perception problem that affects the whole system," he said, describing a conversation with a resident who gave him a surprised look when he mentioned he moved to the area to take a job with the school system.
House indicated that parents often aren't aware of the many advanced learning programs and partnerships between county schools and federal agencies and universities, something he will work to correct.
Parents and attendees raised questions about the Pointer Ridge closure, specific challenges with hiring and retaining teachers, and school safety concerns going in to the new semester.
House indicated he would focus on building bridges with local colleges and agencies to hire more and diverse teachers to fill vacancies. "It's not just about money and salaries, it's about finding the people who haven't always been invited into the profession." Though he did suggest compensation would be a factor given the amount of education debt often burdening young teachers.
On school safety, House indicated he wanted to thread the needle between maximizing student wellbeing and avoiding turning schools into prisons. He spoke favorably of trained school resource officers to respond to emergency situations, and working proactively with parents and local service agencies to try and prevent issues before they reached schools.
Attending the meeting were many of the local, county, and state elected leaders representing Bowie, some of whom had the opportunity to meet House one-on-one soon after he took the job.
Several longtime officials expressed cautious optimism about House's selection as schools chief. "It's a good start," said one veteran state lawmaker. Reservations abound regarding long-running challenges in the county school system from maintenance backlogs, teacher and support staff shortages, and high school overcrowding despite record federal, state, and county education spending.
Still, most were pleased with the proactive community engagement and spoke favorably of House's record leading the Houston Independent School District, which saw measured improvements after years of challenges similar to Prince George's.
House expressed optimism about the job ahead, sharing that his own son would be starting middle school this year in the Prince George's County Public Schools system. "If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for everyone," House stated.
House is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma where be began as a physical education teacher before serving as assistant principal and principal at Marian Anderson Elementary School in Tulsa. At 26, Millard House was the youngest school principal in the state before serving as deputy superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools.
House received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Montevallo and a Master of Administration from Northeastern State University.