By Adam Pagnucco.
With the departure of Chief of Staff Brian Stockton, MCPS is bringing in a familiar name to replace him, at least for now: former Board of Education Member Michael Durso. Durso worked for decades in school districts in D.C., Maryland and Virginia and was a principal at MCPS’s Springbrook High School in Silver Spring. He was appointed to the school board in 2009 and elected from District 5 in 2010 and 2014. He was endorsed by the Montgomery County Education Association and the Washington Post in both of those races. A 2015 biography of Durso can be found here.
Durso in 2014. From an MCM YouTube video.
MCPS spokesman Chris Cram confirmed that Durso would serve as acting chief of staff effective January 16. Cram gave me the following statement.
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Mr. Durso comes to this role as a former Montgomery County Board of Education president, member, and former principal at Springbrook High School in MCPS. He will work closely with Ms. Nancy Navarro, senior advisor for external affairs, to enhance communications and partnerships with school and community leaders, association partners, and elected officials, including the Board of Education, County Council, county executive, and Montgomery County State delegation.
Together with Ms. Navarro, they will also be focused on advancing the priorities of the Board of Education, which include a focus on math and literacy instruction, ensuring a safe and secure environment for students and staff, recruitment, retention, and distribution of diverse staff, and improving two-way communication between families and schools.