Today the Dekalb County Board of Education announced Dr. Rudy Crew as the sole finalist in its search for a new superintendent. Bring to an end of a five-month search that yielded 68 applications and community input. While Dr. Crew will be voted on after the 14 Day Public Input Period mandated by Georgia Law, Dr. Crew brings decades of experience in the classroom and as an administrator for New York City and Miami-Dade County school districts and working in higher education.
Here’s more about his background from the press release from Dekalb County Schools.
Dr. Crew brings decades of top-level K-12 experience to the role. During his career he has served as chancellor of the New York City Board of Education, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and the state of Oregon’s first-ever chief education officer. Most recently, Dr. Crew has served as president of Medgar Evers College, a public college in New York City, for seven years.
“We heard from the community that it was paramount the candidate have deep experience as an educator, an administrator and a partner to parents, teachers and students,” Board Chair Marshall Orson said. “We are excited to not only have found a finalist who meets these criteria, but also has more than a quarter-century of experience in leading school districts, including a strong track record in heading two of the nation’s largest urban districts. This positions him well to lead the DeKalb County School District, which is the third largest school system in Georgia.”
During the next few weeks, Dr. Crew will meet remotely with employees, students and community members across the district, including two online town hall meetings during which the public is invited to ask questions. Georgia law mandates that school districts must give a minimum of 14 days for public input before finalizing an agreement with a new superintendent. In accordance with guidance from the governor regarding COVID-19, all meetings will be conducted virtually.
“I’ve had the rare opportunity to explore a diverse career path that led me from classroom teacher to K12 administrator and, most recently, to higher education. What this experience taught me about myself is the heart I really have for helping to shape the lives and educational outcomes of our younger students in a K-12 setting,” said Dr. Crew. “I’m excited to get back to that important work and DeKalb is an outstanding school district where I believe my experience will be of great benefit. The district has made tremendous strides in recent years as it successfully restored its accreditation, improved its financial situation and, most importantly, continues to elevate its academic programs and improve student outcomes.”
Dr. Crew began his career as a teacher and served as a middle and high school principal in California and Massachusetts. He went on to hold administrative positions in Tacoma, Washington, New York City and Miami-Dade County, where he is credited with helping to significantly improve student performance. At Medgar Evers, he turned around a college in jeopardy of losing accreditation and positioned it well academically, while at the same time instituting a program to support K-12 students in the area. His innovative approach has been recognized by several organizations including the Coalition for Educational Justice in New York City and the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Ash Institute. He was named the 2008 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.
Dr. Crew is expected to sign a contract with the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) in May and formally assume the role of superintendent on July 1, 2020. Superintendent Ramona Tyson will continue to lead the District until Dr. Crew steps in and will coordinate with him to ensure a smooth transition. “On behalf of the DeKalb County School District and Board of Education, I would like to thank Superintendent Tyson for her tireless efforts repositioning the District for future success and for leading the District in this time of crisis,” said Orson. “She has gone above and beyond expectations during this time, and we appreciate the tremendous work she has done. We look forward to working with Dr. Crew to continue building a world-class school district that enriches the education and lives of our students and our community.”
The community will have a chance to meet him virtually from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, and Thursday, April 30. The public is invited to submit questions in advance by emailing dcsdsupesearch@dekalbschoolsga.org or calling 678-676-0722. Questions should be submitted by noon on Tuesday, April 28. The town halls will be available to view live online at https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/communications/dstv and via broadcast at DSTV 24, which is available to residents within DeKalb County with Comcast cable television.