Durham Public Schools appoints new superintendent for 4-year term

After several months and hundreds of hours of deliberation, the Durham Public Schools Board of Education has appointed a new superintendent.

Dr. Anthony S. Lewis has been appointed to a four-year term as the new Superintendent of Durham Public Schools, effective August 12.

The board voted unanimously Saturday morning to select Dr. Lewis as the next Superintendent. Of the more than 100 applicants, four finalists were chosen. They were then interviewed by a special community panel appointed by the Board to meet those candidates and submit their vote for the top candidate. The members of the panel signed a non-disclosure agreement to ensure privacy, confidentiality, and fidelity.

“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.”

Bettina Umstead, Chair of the DPS Board of Education, expressed a vision for making Durham public schools exceptional, emphasizing their aspiration to be a premier educational system.

Board Chair Bettina Umstead highlighted Lewis's impressive track record as an educator, noting his six years as superintendent of the Lawrence school system in Kansas, along with his experience as a principal and educator in Alabama, as key factors in his selection.

Durham’s Mayor, Leonardo Williams, agreed, releasing a statement reading in part “Our community operates at its best when the City, County, and Durham Public Schools are all led by strong leaders.”

Lewis joins DPS after what’s been a turbulent school year - marked by months of clashes between the district and classified staff over promised pay increases, clashes that led to thousands of Durham students missing days of school.

In addition to the turmoil, two abrupt resignations: first, the district’s Chief financial officer in January, then the last permanent superintendent, Dr. Pascal Mubenga, in February.

In a statement released by DPS Saturday, Anthony Lewis wrote “While many great things are happening in this district, I am ready to work to continue and accelerate those successes. The community also recognizes some challenges remain that we must and will address directly.”

Durham Public School officials say they plan to introduce Lewis to the community on Monday.