Monique Felder on the Move, Again

Orange County Board of Education Names New Superintendent
(en español)

The Orange County Board of Education is thrilled to announce the selection of Dr. Monique Felder as the next superintendent of the Orange County Schools.  Dr. Felder will take office on November 1, 2019.

During its search for a new superintendent, the Board carefully reviewed applications from a diverse field of thirty qualified candidates and engaged in a thorough interview, background check, and reference check process.  Of the many excellent candidates who applied, the Board believes that Dr. Felder’s experience, leadership, and dedication to students make her the best choice to serve Orange County students, staff, and the community for years to come.  The Board was particularly impressed by Dr. Felder’s commitment to making educational equity a reality for all students, teaching students to become positive citizens of the world.  The Board is confident that she will lead the school system to even higher achievement in its effort to ensure that all students graduate prepared for college, careers, civic engagement and productive lives.

Dr. Felder has enjoyed a long and successful career in public education spanning more than twenty-five years in Maryland and Tennessee.  Most recently, she has served 86,000 students as Chief Academic Officer for the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tennessee.  Prior to assuming her most recent position, Dr. Felder served as an executive director to the deputy superintendent for the Prince George’s County Public Schools (Maryland’s second largest school district with 130,000 students).  She also previously served as a director, a supervisor, a principal, and an assistant principal for the Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland’s largest school district with 162,000 students). Dr. Felder began her career in public education as a classroom teacher in Rockville and Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Dr. Felder has received many recognitions for her success across her career and has published important academic works in the education field.  For example, when she was serving as a principal her school was awarded the International Reading Association’s Exemplary Reading Program Award for the State of Maryland. She also was named a finalist for the Washington Post’s Outstanding Leadership Award. Additionally, she is a co-author of the book Increasing Diversity in Gifted Education: Research-Based Strategies for Identification and Program Services.

Dr. Felder has an impressive academic background as well.  She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from York College in Jamaica, New York.  She went on to earn a master’s degree in elementary education from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Dr. Felder has a strong family to support her.  She has three adult children and five grandchildren, ranging in age from eight to seventeen years old. Her eighty-seven-year-old mother lives in Florida.  Both of her maternal grandparents were born and raised in North Carolina, so she has deep roots in the State.

“I am absolutely honored and humbled to be the next superintendent of the Orange County Schools,” said Dr. Felder.  “Serving all students and supporting their education has been my life’s work for twenty-eight years.  I look forward to collaborating with our stakeholders—students, staff, families, community members, and the Board—to improve outcomes for all students.  I can’t wait to get started!”

Please join the Board in congratulating and welcoming Dr. Monique Felder as the new superintendent of the Orange County Schools.