Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition
April 21, 2025
This week, the Worcester County Board of Education makes their selection for the next Superintendent of Worcester County Public Schools. However, the actions of the Board appears highly suspicious, indicating an internally-rigged selection for a favored, predetermined outcome. They have selected two finalists, Dr. Annette Wallace and Dr. Monique Wheatley-Phillip.
Back in January, before the superintendent search even began, the Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition published this article that predicts exactly what the Board would do (at the end of the article) to simulate a faux superintendent search by going through the motions for a predetermined outcome:
Worcester County Public Schools Superintendent Announces Resignation
In a WGDM report, Board of Education President Todd Ferrante stated, “The search process to find a new educational leader in Worcester County has been a top priority for this Board. We are pleased with our progress in the search so far, and we are excited to announce our two highly qualified finalists. “We greatly appreciate the investment our community is making by participating in the upcoming focus groups and providing input to the Board. We look forward to making a final decision soon and helping our new Superintendent create a vision and plan for transitioning into this leadership role.”
The question is, who was nominated to be a part of this focus group? Were the members of this group populated with hand-picked loyalists for a desired outcome? The names of these people have been kept secret from the public. Historically, most committees are created with individuals to carry out a particular agenda for the Board. This secrecy is a red flag.
Oddly, the Board selected only two finalists, when historically there are always three. They had many applicants, but a third finalist would only create an obstacle for a district that wants a desired outcome. Board member Katie Addis was the only member who voted for having a third finalist, which can be witnessed here. The other board members voted against it.
At the latest 2026 school budget hearing before the Worcester County Commissioners, current Superintendent Lou Taylor remained quiet on a question that he’s supposed to answer, and instead placed finalist Wallace before the Commissioners to answer his question. Taylor was yielding to aid in her political grandstanding, which can be seen in the video here:
Worcester County Commissioner Exposes Sneaky Budget Tactic & Political Double Standard
The Board conducted a superintendent community and staff survey for the appearance of community involvement, as we predicted they would. However, the results of those surveys were never publicly released. Why? Did public response not support the Board’s favored candidate?
We have received many emails and interviewed faculty who have expressed their dissatisfaction with this entire process. Many have claimed they’ll quit if the asserted “favored internal” is selected. School employees fear retaliation for offering input that differs from the establishment’s narrative. Staff that will be interacting with the next superintendent should have input. The district has not provided staff with a safe haven to express themselves and what they’re looking for in a superintendent.
Also, the teachers’ union is manipulating, bullying, and bribing for their champion that they feel will give them what they want – control. Board members who like to be pet are lockstep with the union. These members are no more than stringed puppets that are simply tugged to appease. Board member Addis also asked the WCEA to create an anonymous superintendent selection survey for teachers and they did not.
Despite what the Board and administration does to make themselves look good through a daily dusting of powdered sugar, Worcester County Public Schools is underperforming, and the students are not academically proficient (report here). Proficiency is worst among black students, as it is reported that Worcester has an average proficiency of 45.5% in English Language Arts and an average proficiency of 18.5% in math. This is unacceptable. And that’s just an average, since many students have a proficiency much lower than this. One of the candidates is directly involved with the underperformance, and it’s continually spun into cotton candy. This isn’t a game. The next superintendent must guide academic proficiency.
The candidate bios were rigged. On this news post by WCPS, you can see under each finalist, there’s a link that shows each candidate’s fully submitted bio. Every applicant had a digital application to fill out, limiting the character response in the submission field of the bio section. Because Wallace is internal, her full bio was posted giving her an unfair advantage.
Wallace: (Please click here to view the candidate’s self-submitted full biography)
Wheatley-Phillip: (Please click here to view the candidate’s self-submitted full biography)
Here’s the complete bio of Dr. Wheatley-Phillip that the district doesn’t want you to see.
The Board has an obligation to the people that elected them to:
- Ensure all candidates are given equal and unbiased public representation.
- Publicly release the full results of the staff and community surveys.
- Disclose the members of the focus group.
- Listen to the input provided by the citizens.
- Create a safe haven for employees to offer input without fear of retaliation.
Fellows & Editors
April 21, 2025 – Copyright DelmarvaPTC.org
Please consider supporting or signing up to the Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition and follow us on facebook to stay informed of what’s really happening with education in our schools.
All copyright © information provided at no charge under the Fair Use Act and strictly for educational purposes and public awareness.
