Prince George's County, 2023 - 2027
Dr. Monica Goldson most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). Student-led and community-focused, she is driven to propel scholars to their highest potential, proudly working in the same school system where she was educated.
A PGCPS graduate, Dr. Goldson began her career as a mathematics teacher at Suitland High School with long-term plans to become an actuary. However, within her first few weeks on the job, she realized that education was her true calling.
She steadily moved up the administrative ranks, serving as Associate Superintendent for High Schools, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, and Chief Operating Officer prior to becoming CEO.
A visionary leader, Dr. Goldson recognized the impact of increasing student access to dual enrollment college credit years before state legislation granted free access to such programs. Under her leadership, PGCPS gained national recognition from The College Board for higher passing rates on Advanced Placement exams. Dr. Goldson created pipelines to enhance access to the county’s premier Science and Technology specialty program and served alongside the Prince George’s County Government’s Transforming Neighborhood Initiative @ Schools team.
She led PGCPS through the COVID-19 pandemic building a virtual learning from the ground up and mobilizing the school system to provide laptops, internet service and technology assistance to families in need. At the same time, Dr. Goldson leveraged a full-scope alternative financing model to design, build, finance and maintain the internationally-recognized Blueprint Schools construction program to build six new middle schools in two years — the first U.S. public school system to use a public-private partnership for construction.
Dr. Goldson is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. In March 2022, she received an appointment from President Joseph R. Biden to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She is a member of Chiefs for Change, graduate of Leadership Greater Washington and board member of Nonprofit Prince George’s and the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce. She was a finalist for the 2023 AASA Distinguished Women Leadership Award, received the Women Who Mean Business Award from Washington Business Journal and appeared twice on Washingtonian magazine’s list of “Washington’s Most Powerful Women.”
Dr. Goldson holds degrees from three HBCUs: a bachelor’s in Mathematics from Florida A&M University, master’s in Elementary and Secondary School Administration from Bowie State University, and doctorate in Educational Administration and Policy from Howard University. Her two adult sons are both graduates of Prince George’s County Public Schools.