Monica Goldson, the chief executive officer of Prince George’s County Public Schools, announced Friday that she would retire in June, ending a five-year stint leading Maryland’s second-largest school district and a three-decade-long career as a teacher and administrator in the county.

“From a mathematics teacher and cheerleading coach to chief executive officer, my career has taken me to heights I never dreamed possible when I walked across the stage in 1986 as a Potomac High School graduate,” she said in a recorded announcement. “The children of this community are among the brightest and most innovative in the country. It has been an absolute honor to lead over 131,000 students in the place I call home.”

In a broader email to the school community, Goldson said her decision to leave the post she took in mid-2018 was spurred in part by conflicts with the Prince George’s County Board of Education

“At present, there is a clear divide of philosophical beliefs on the Prince George’s County Board of Education about how we should move forward as a school district,” wrote Goldson. “To be clear, the current acrimony is not about one Board Chair. It is another example of the Board’s inability to work together in the best interest of our students. The continued political infighting among certain Board Members demonstrates a misalignment in the vision for the children of this county.”

The 13-member board that oversees the county school system has been embroiled in controversy in recent years, with Chair Juanita Miller and various board members trading accusations related to contracts and violations of board policies. An independent audit last year found problems on both sides, while separately the State Board of Education requested Miller’s removal from office over allegations of misconduct. (Following that request, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks asked that Miller step aside.) Miller opted instead for a state disciplinary hearing, which concluded late last year.

A person who picked up the phone at the school board’s office said the body would have no comment on Goldson’s retirement announcement.

Goldson led Prince George’s County Public Schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, and requiring masking by staff and students longer than any other jurisdiction in Maryland. (The county was among the state’s hardest-hit by the virus.) Early in the pandemic’s shift to virtual learning, she published an op-ed in The Washington Post urging federal action to help students get online more easily. (More than half of the students in Prince George’s County Public Schools qualify as low-income.)

“Removing systematic barriers to education is a national emergency every day, but now the urgency is as great as ever before. In these trying times, we are already seeing what happens when we don’t answer the call when an alarm is sounded — or wait too long to act,” she wrote.

Goldson also urged Maryland lawmakers and officials to fully fund a sweeping bill to expand free pre-Kindergarten programs, increase pay for teachers, and speed the modernization of schools across the state.

“PGCPS has thrived in a multitude of ways during your tenure,” tweeted school board member Lolita Walker (District 9) on Thursday. “I wish you favor & relaxation as you rest not only on the tenure as PGCPS CEO but also as an amazing individual who worked tirelessly to lead, impact, & serve our students, teachers & staff. You’ll be missed.”