As reported by the Washington Post, Maryland’s Interim State Superintendent has been named Montgomery School Superintendent.

As described in the article,

Montgomery County named Jack R. Smith, Maryland’s interim state superintendent of schools, as its schools chief Thursday, ending a year-long search for a leader to take over the 156,000-student system.

Board of Education members voted unanimously to hire Smith, 58, as superintendent of the district, the state’s largest. It faces challenges posed by surging enrollment, budget shortfalls and increasing numbers of children who live in poverty.

For more information on Smith and his background, see the full story from the Washington Post, Interim state superintendent Jack Smith to lead Montgomery schools.

In the meantime, legislation has been introduced that would change the appointment process for Maryland’s State Superintendent.

The legislation states that the State Board of Education must appoint a State Superintendent with the advice and consent of the Senate on or before April 1 of the year in which a term ends. Under current law, the Board of Education would appointment a new superintendent by July 1 of the year, when the legislature is not in session.

For more information about that legislation, see the Department of Legislative Service’s bill summary page on State Board of Education – State Superintendent of Schools – Appointment.