DeKalb Board of Education Picks Superintendent Finalist

Cheryl L.H. Atkinson has been selected as a finalist for DeKalb school district superintendent.

Atkinson will be formally installed as the new superintendent in a public vote after a state-required waiting period of 14 days, the DeKalb Board of Education announced in a statement late Friday night.

“Dr. Atkinson is a highly respected and experienced educational leader with a proven record of lifting academic achievement in Lorain, Ohio, and in other districts where she has served,” said Thomas Bowen, chairman of the DeKalb Board of Education, in the statement. “This was a long process, but in the end we are confident that we have the best candidate to move our district forward. The board is pleased to have her serve the children of our district.”  

Atkinson’s accomplishments in the Lorain school district include “Success for All,” described as an academic reform model that is credited with raising Ohio Achievement Test scores in reading for all elementary and middle schools.

She has served school districts with enrollments ranging from 7,500 to 165,000 students as deputy superintendent in Kansas City, Mo.; associate and regional superintendent in Charlotte, N.C., and associate superintendent in Charleston, S.C., according to the statement.

“My passion is to give all children, regardless of background or circumstances, a quality public school education,” Atkinson said in the statement. She will visit the district within the next 14 days to be introduced to parents and the DeKalb community.

The selection of Atkinson comes several months after the withdrawal last spring of three finalists for the job. Ramona Tyson, interim superintendent since February 2010, will continue to serve in a senior advisory position in order to have a smooth transition for the new superintendent, according to the statement.