Portland Public Schools Settles On Superintendent Pick

Portland Public Schools on Friday announced that they have settled on Donyall Dickey, the Chief Schools Officer and Chief Academic Officer for the Atlanta Public Schools, to be their next superintendent.

If the board is able to reach an agreement with Dickey, he will likely assume control on July 1 of the state's largest district with 98 schools and 50,000 students.

HAVE PATCH EMAIL YOU ALL THE LATEST NEWS

"Donyall's career has been driven by a commitment to equity, instructional excellence and accountability for results," said PPS Board Chair Tom Koehler. "His repeated success in turning around underperforming schools in large urban school districts in a short amount of time demonstrates his unique ability to put in place operational systematic changes that support teachers, spur student achievement and improve schools.

"This is exactly the kind of academic leadership and community experience we need at this time in PPS."

Dickey would be the district's first full-time, non-interim superintendent since Carole Smith resigned last July under a cloud of controversy over how the district handled a lead in the water scandal.

Before Atlanta, Dickey held the same titles in Philadelphia where he had also worked as a regional superintendent.

He started his career in Maryland as a third grade in the Baltimore City Public Schools and a high school teacher in Baltimore County Public Schools.

He was also a school principal for six years in Howard County, Maryland, as well as a principal and assistant principal in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dickey earned his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Texas in 1996 and his Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Loyola University in 2000.

In 2016, he completed his doctoral work in Educational Leadership and Policy from The George Washington University where he completed his dissertation entitled, “Student Achievement Gap and Standardized Assessments.”

He is also the author of “The Integrated Approach to Student Achievement” among many other curriculum resources.

Dickey was selected from among 32 applicants for the position. The applicant pool was comprised of 13 superintendents, 14 deputy superintendents, 5 individuals serving in other roles, 8 females, and 10 candidates of color. The Board initially interviewed six candidates in early February and narrowed the field down to three semi-finalists.

The Board also convened a committee of sixteen community members to interview the three semi-finalists candidates. This committee provided input and feedback on the three semi-finalists prior to the Boards’ second interviews with the candidates, and Dr. Dickey was given high marks from the group.

"We are excited that the Board went with a candidate who expresses true educational leadership," said Suzanne Cohen, President of Portland Association of Teachers and a member of the PPS Superintendent Stakeholder Advisory Group.

"It is unusual to see someone at the superintendent level with such clarity and vision for the teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom."

The vetting process will continue over the next several weeks as additional references are checked, which will include a site visit to Atlanta by members of the Board to meet with staff members, students, parents, and community members who have worked with Dr. Dickey in his current role. Conditional contract negotiations will begin but an official contract approval and appointment will require a vote of the Board, which will occur upon completion of the vetting process.

Watch Dickey deliver a talk on curriculum, instruction, and leadership: