Durham Public Schools picks new superintendent: Dr. Anthony S. Lewis
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Durham Public Schools announced its new superintendent would be Dr. Anthony S. Lewis.
Lewis signed on for a four-year term that will begin August 12 and run through June 30, 2028.
DPS needed a new superintendent after Dr. Pascal Mubenga suddenly announced he would resign from the district amid a pay dispute earlier this year.
Catty Moore took over as interim superintendent to bridge the gap and steady the ship.
Durham Public Schools Board of Education said it looked at more than 100 applicants for the superintendent position.
"The Board of Education is proud of the outcome of this work. We took extra measures to ensure that the characteristics of our next Superintendent were chosen by the people they would serve," said BOE Chairwoman Bettina Umstead. "As a Board, we were certain that our newly appointed leader would need to bring empirical evidence of having facilitated student achievement, a commitment to equity and diversity, and a management sense that would take this district from good to great. Dr. Lewis's proven track record and experience met the high standards we and the community hold for this district's performance."
Lewis previously served as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools in Kansas. He was at that position since 2018. He has been an educator for 22 years.
He credits his grandmother for inspiring him to enter the education field. She worked as a cafeteria manager in schools for 40 years.
She greeted every student for breakfast every day, and Dr. Lewis said her deliberate actions demonstrated "the power of that first adult" and how "what we say or what we don't say can impact their day... All adults can instill value in our scholars and make them feel seen and heard. Now they're ready to learn."
"I'm in this work to improve outcomes for all students," he said.
