Dr. Anthony Lewis
Superintendent, Durham Public Schools
The Durham Public Schools Board of Education appointed Dr. Anthony S. Lewis to a four-year term as the new Superintendent of Durham Public Schools, effective August 12, 2024 through June 30, 2028.
Dr. Lewis, who served as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools in Lawrence, Kansas from 2018 to 2024, has been an educator for 22 years. He notes that the foremost core values that guide his work are a “laser-like focus” on each individual student, and teachers as the most influential people in determining student outcomes. He says he learned the critical importance of personalizing education from his grandmother who served as a hands-on cafeteria manager 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.” He adds that investing in teachers and instructional assistants are priorities.
During his six-year tenure with Lawrence Public Schools, Dr. Lewis facilitated the development and implementation of the district’s first-ever equity policy. As a result, he said that systems were designed to empower all educators so that the work would take root. One of the most visible impacts was the highest increase in the district’s graduation rate in 16 years, and closing the achievement gap between White and Black students.
Dr. Lewis’s outstanding leadership earned him recognition as one of the National School Public Relations Association’s Superintendents to Watch in September 2020. This prestigious accolade acknowledges his dynamic and fast-paced leadership, underpinned by effective communication and innovative use of technology to engage and inform school communities.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly appointed Dr. Lewis to the Kansas African American Affairs Commission in November 2019, as a contributor to the development of strategies addressing public policy concerns within the African American community, fostering partnerships with state agencies, corporations, and foundations. Additionally, he is actively involved in programs, grants, and research. In June 2020, Governor Laura Kelly appointed Dr. Lewis to the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, tasking him with studying and addressing issues of racial equity and justice in Kansas, with a particular emphasis on law enforcement-community relations.
Dr. Lewis began his educational journey as a high school Special Education teacher in Montgomery, Alabama. Through his unwavering dedication and talent, he ascended the ranks, eventually becoming principal of a low-performing elementary school that became high performing and achieved remarkable results under his leadership Dr. Lewis’s exceptional track record in Alabama garnered the attention of the Kansas City, Missouri School District, where he assumed key roles, including principal, director of elementary schools, and assistant superintendent. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in steering the district towards full accreditation after nearly three decades.
Dr. Lewis earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees in Special Education, along with a Certificate in Educational Leadership, all from Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. He further honed his educational expertise by successfully completing the Instructional Leadership Academy at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. His commitment to education led him to attain a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He also successfully completed the American Association of School Administrators (AASA)/The School Superintendents Association’s Urban Superintendents Academy in partnership with Howard University.