Alvin Crawley, the Prince George’s County Public Schools interim superintendent, has delayed his June 3 resignation, said school system spokesman Briant Coleman.
“He’s willing to stay until school reopens in August,” Coleman said.
On April 25, Crawley informed the Board of Education of his intent to resign effective June 3. Crawley’s contract was set to expire July 1.
Coleman said Crawley was unavailable for comment due to graduations this week.
Crawley replaced William Hite, who left PGCPS to head the Philadelphia public school system in September 2012. Crawley, who had been serving as deputy chief of programming for the District of Columbia Public Schools Office of Special Education, accepted the job of interim superintendent in July 2012.
Board of Education chairwoman Verjeana Jacobs (Dist. 5) said Crawley wished to ensure a smooth transition for the start of the next school year.
Jacobs said the board is pleased Crawley will be staying on.
“Dr. Crawley has been a very good superintendent,” Jacobs said. “He jumped in at a time when we were still dealing with the departure of Dr. Hite and he really held down the fort.”
Crawley had declined to comment on the resignation, but Jacobs attributed it at the time to the passage of legislation changing the school system’s leadership structure.
The legislation, House Bill 1107, signed into law April 9, allows the county executive to choose the next superintendent from among three candidates put forth by a state-appointed search committee, as well as allowing the county executive and County Council to appoint four school board members, and removes most of the board’s authority over the superintendent, who will be called the school system’s Chief Executive Officer.
Crawley was named a candidate for the superintendent position prior to the legislation, but withdrew his name the day before the bill’s final passage.
County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) announced during a “Unity Breakfast” with school board members on May 23 that he would ask Crawley to stay on as interim superintendent until the new CEO is chosen.
Baker education advisor Christian Rhodes said Baker’s primary reason for asking Crawley to stay on is stability.
“The reality is we still have the important business of closing school out for the year and the important business of preparing for the next school year,” said Rhodes. “It is good for the stability of the school system, as we begin the CEO search, to have someone willing and able to do the work, and who has demonstrated a willingness to put the needs of our children first.”
This story originally appeared in the May 28 edition of the Prince George’s Gazette.