Grace Rivera-Oven Elected President of Montgomery County Board of Education; Brenda Wolff Named Vice President

Grace Rivera-Oven was elected president of the Montgomery County Board of Education and Brenda Wolff was named vice president at the beginning of the board’s November 20 business meeting.

Rivera-Oven, who represents District 1 and was elected to the board in 2022, will begin her first term as president in December. 1. She previously served as chair of the Committee on Special Populations and is the founder and CEO of the Upcounty Hub, a Germantown-based nonprofit addressing food insecurity and providing social services to more than 1,400 families weekly. Rivera-Oven said her focus will remain on student well-being and equity.

Wolff, representing District 5, has served on the board since 2018 and previously held two terms as president and one term as vice president. She spent 27 years with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and has held leadership roles in several national education programs.

Board leaders serve one-year terms. The president chairs meetings, signs approved contracts and documents, represents the board in communications, and performs other duties as needed.

The Montgomery County Board of Education to Hold Board Meeting December 11, 2025

The Montgomery County Board of Education will hold a Board meeting on Thursday, December 11 at 15 W Gude Drive, Rockville. Details, including the meeting agenda, are available on our website.

The meeting will be cablecast live on Comcast Channel 34 (HD 1071), Verizon Channel 36, RCN Channel 89 and the MCPS website.

Board of Education Accepting Public Feedback on Capital Improvements Plan Through November 10

The Board of Education invites community members to share their feedback on the superintendent’s recommended Capital Improvements Program (CIP).

Community participation is an important part of the process, and the Board welcomes all voices in this discussion about the future of Montgomery County Public Schools facilities. Individuals may submit comments in writing or by video to BOETestimony@mcpsmd.org. Video submissions should be in H.264 MP4 format only, be no longer than three minutes, and may include additional written comments. Comments received by noon on Monday, November 10, will be posted on BoardDocs and distributed to all Board members and leadership staff for consideration.

In addition to the Board’s CIP Work Sessions on October 14 and November 4 as well as the Public Hearings on October 23 and October 28, the Board will hold a final work session on November 11 to review public feedback and additional information requested by Board members. Final action on the Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Budget and the Fiscal Years 2027–2032 CIP is scheduled for the Board’s November 20 Business Meeting.

Click here to submit written/video testimony.

Students First in MCPS’ Future Plans

The Board believes students in Montgomery County deserve the best start and the strongest finish. MCPS’ 2026-2030 Strategic Plan fully aligns with The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future - a combination that is reshaping education so every child is ready for kindergarten, meets college and career goals, and learns from well-supported, highly qualified teachers.

How MCPS is stepping up:
The 2026–2030 Strategic Plan includes targeted measures to track and improve:

• Kindergarten readiness
• Teacher recruitment, diversity, and career growth
• Early achievement of college and career standards

What’s new with the Blueprint:
The Maryland State Department of Education and the Blueprint Accountability & Implementation Board are now working more closely together to ensure school systems like MCPS get clear, consistent guidance on how to deliver Blueprint goals. MCPS leaders will meet with state officials this fall to review progress, highlight challenges, and plan next steps. 

More opportunities for every student:
Better planning, smarter tracking, and strong partnerships mean more opportunities for every MCPS student. Progress will be public on the Maryland Report Card — so stay tuned.

Watch the presentation for all the details on how MCPS’ Strategic Plan and the Blueprint are putting students first.