County Executive Alsobrooks Requests Resignation From Education Board Chair Juanita Miller

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — The head of the county school board, Dr. Juanita D. Miller, has been asked to resign from her position effective immediately by County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks.

Alsobrooks penned a letter to Miller Wednesday that has since been made public. The letter notes that last year, Alsobrooks created a task force to study the structure of the school system. The task force recommended returning to an all-elected school board. Legislation subsequently was passed to implement an all-elected board by 2024 and allows the board to select a chair and vice chair by December of this year.

"As we begin moving forward on a new path with our board and its leadership, I believe that now is the time to start fresh with a clean slate and in order to help that process, and in light of what we discussed in recent days, I believe itis best for you to resign from the board at this time," Alsobrooks wrote.

She thanked Miller for her service and commitment to "improving the lives and educational experience of Prince George's County students and families."

"You demonstrated a passion for educational excellence and equity during your tenure on the board and you brought a wealth of knowledge and experience that served our schools and county well," she added. "I look forward to receiving your letter of resignation as soon as possible and I wish you all the best in all your future endeavors."

Miller, a former state delegate and water utility commission board member, also has been at the center of multiple controversies since her appointment 16 months ago and ethics complaints have been filed against her.

Earlier this week, the Maryland State Board of Education made public two charges against Miller that could lead to her removal if she does not voluntarily resign. The charges were approved at a closed-door meeting May 24 and include her refusal to sign a legal services contract with a law firm the majority of board members approved hiring. Instead, she secured a different law firm without board approval. She also invited unauthorized guests, specifically two attorneys who provided legal advice, to attend confidential executive sessions of the school board last year, according to a notice of the charges.

The state board also disclosed that Miller withheld from her colleagues seven ethics complaints and then failed to present “findings and recommendations” from the local board’s ethics panel in a timely manner. That failure, the state board found, prevented the Prince George’s school board from fulfilling its responsibility to make a final decision on the allegations.

Alsobrooks made no mention of the state school board’s charges or her potential removal.