New Superintendent Of Schools Appointed In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford Board of Education on Tuesday night unanimously appointed Dr. Adrian Talley as the next superintendent of Stamford Public Schools.

Talley, a career educator with more than 35 years of experience, will join the district from Indian Prairie School District 204 in Illinois, where he has served as superintendent since July 2020. The district serves more than 26,000 students across Aurora, Bolingbrook, Naperville and Plainfield.

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"Public education is a community enterprise, and a school system belongs to the community it serves," Talley said. “As the next Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools, I am committed to bringing people together around a shared vision to ensure the district achieves measurable, sustainable improvement, particularly in advancing equity, strengthening student outcomes, and maintaining public confidence."

During his tenure, the district developed its first comprehensive strategic plan, strengthened school improvement processes, increased AP Scholar recognition by 28 percent to exceed pre-pandemic levels, and secured voter approval of a $420 million capital bond referendum focused on safety, infrastructure and operational efficiency, according to an announcement from SPS.

"The Board was fortunate to meet with a number of highly qualified candidates, but Dr. Talley stood out from the start as a leader who had driven meaningful, lasting change in school districts with profiles similar to Stamford," said Board President Andy George. "His commitment to equity and achievement, experience managing complex systems and budgets, and reputation as a relationship builder made him the clear choice to lead Stamford Public Schools."

Before his role in Illinois, Talley served as director of community schools from 2018 to 2020 and executive director of student services from 2015 to 2018 for Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, a district serving more than 130,000 students across 208 schools and program sites.

Earlier in his career, Talley was principal deputy director and associate director of education for the Department of Defense Education Activity, where he oversaw a $1.9 billion budget and supported programs across 181 schools serving 84,000 students. He also held leadership roles in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, including associate superintendent for shared accountability and community superintendent, overseeing 40 schools with more than 29,000 students. During that time, the district received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Talley holds a doctorate in education administration and policy from The George Washington University, a master’s degree in higher education administration from Boston College, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Virginia.

The appointment follows a nationwide search conducted by Zeal Education Group, which reviewed 27 candidates from 11 states. The board identified five semifinalists who were interviewed in March before selecting finalists for in-person interviews earlier this month.

Talley is scheduled to begin his tenure July 1. He is expected to begin a series of community engagement sessions, with details to be announced in late June.

Current Superintendent Dr. Tamu Lucero will leave the district to serve as the director and head of school at a private, PreK-12 international school in Africa effective July 1.