Montgomery, Alabama, September 26, 2024 – The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, along with elected officials and Alabama State Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey, held a press conference today praising Montgomery Public Schools (MPS)Superintendent Dr. Melvin J. Brown’s accomplishments during his tenure as superintendent and calling for an end to the baseless and unwarranted attacks against him and his family. The Chamber also approved a resolution calling upon the Montgomery County Board of Education to reconsider its conduct and actions that led to the resignation of Dr. Brown.
The Alabama Education Association (AEA) knows the importance of having a strong, qualified superintendent to continue the recent progress of MPS. Dr. Brown was an extremely capable superintendent, and it is a disservice to MPS to lose an individual of his caliber. In support of Dr. Brown, AEA is committed to helping achieve unity on the Montgomery County School Board. We thank the members of the Chamber, the Montgomery County Commission, and the Montgomery City Council for standing alongside us in support of Dr. Brown.
“I thank the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, the Alabama Education Association, and the many members of our community who have worked to support the district and the work we have attempted to do throughout this difficult time,” said Dr. Brown. “Although my tenure as superintendent will conclude soon, I know MPS has the potential for greatness moving forward. I look forward to doing whatever I can to help achieve it.”
For Montgomery County to recruit the kind of superintendent needed to guide the district into the future, there must be strong leadership and stability on the Montgomery County Board of
Education. The actions of certain board members will deter potential candidates from seeking office in Montgomery County, sending a message that the board will become unsupportive and work to drive them from their positions. To echo the sentiments of those at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce press conference, it is imperative that the unwarranted attacks on Dr. Brown and his family stop immediately.
It's time to end the constant turnover of superintendents in MPS and its negative effect on our students, educators, and community. AEA strongly urges the Montgomery County School Board to work amicably in resolving all outstanding matters pertaining to Dr. Brown’s employment with MPS. Furthermore, it is important for the Montgomery County School Board to show unity in selecting and working with the next superintendent to ensure a smooth leadership transition and maintain the progress made by MPS.
Kynesha Brown, Public Relations Manager
Alabama Education Association
334.324.7218
kynesha.brown@alaedu.org
