Local school district announces finalists in superintendent search

DAYTON — Dayton Public Schools Board of Education announced its three finalists in the superintendent search, according to a spokesperson from the district.

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The finalists include:

• Dr. David Lawrence, Interim Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools

• Dr. Alesia Smith, Chief of Schools for Cincinnati Public Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio

• H. Allen Smith II, School System Leader in Mansfield, Texas

“The Board was very impressed with each of the finalists. As we move forward with the selection process, the community can be assured that the next leader of Dayton Public Schools will be strong, student-focused, and capable of leading our District forward,” Board President Chrisondra Goodwine said.

The spokesperson said the three candidates have decades of experience in public education and were selected after an initial interview with the BOE and Alma Advisory Group.

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“The Alma Advisory Group has been honored to support DPS in the search for their next superintendent,” said Monica Rosen, Chief Executive Officer for the Alma Advisory Group. “The finalists for the role are an extremely talented and passionate group, who are focused on improving education and achieving success for the students they serve. We cannot wait for the Dayton Community to get to know them!”

The BOE invites community members to participate in the final interview process.

How to participate:

1. Submit nominations or self-nominations for potential participation on interview panels between now and Jan. 12, 2024.
2. Submit potential interview questions for the interview panels to consider asking the finalist candidates between now and Jan. 12th.
3. View the live-streamed and recorded finalist interviews with students and parents and provide feedback to the BOE. The date of the finalist interviews has not been scheduled yet but is anticipated to be in early February.

Dayton community members, staff, teachers, and guardians can nominate themselves or someone else to participate on the panel, the spokesperson said.

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If selected, you must be available to participate in two virtual training held in mid- to end-of-January.

The BOE and Alma Advisory Group will select panelists in mid-January, the spokesperson said.

Finalist interviews will take place in early February.

The spokesperson said the district aims to have a superintendent selected starting July 1, 2024.

For updates on the search process, visit Dayton Public School’s website.

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