Pittsboro, NC – At a special Thursday evening meeting the Chatham County Board of Education announced the selection and hiring of Dr. Anthony (Tony) Jackson as the next superintendent of Chatham County Schools (CCS). Dr. Jackson, who was recently named the 2020 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, will take office on July 6.
Chatham County Schools superintendent Anthony Jackson (middle) with Chatham County School board members. (photo by Gene Galin)
During the search process, the board carefully reviewed applications from a diverse field of 45 excellent candidates from eighteen different states and territories. Although many qualified candidates applied, the board felt that Dr. Jackson’s experience, leadership, and dedication to students and staff would best serve CCS students, employees, and the community for years to come. “The Chatham County Board of Education is delighted to welcome Dr. Tony Jackson to our district,” said board chair Gary Leonard. “Dr. Jackson is well known throughout the state as a hard-working and innovative leader who always puts students first, and we can’t wait to see those strengths in action in Chatham County.”
Video: Chatham County Board of Education, Gary Leonard talks about the superintendent search process.
Dr. Jackson has enjoyed a long and successful career in public education spanning more than thirty years in North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Since 2015, he has served as superintendent of Vance County Schools (VCS), where he led initiatives that increased the graduation rate, decreased the dropout rate, and reduced long-term suspensions, as well as implementing the district’s first one-to-one digital learning initiative.
Prior to joining Vance County Schools, Dr. Jackson spent a total of eight years as superintendent of Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools (NRMPS) and Henry County Public Schools. In addition, he previously served as executive director of K-12 curriculum and instruction for Spotsylvania County Schools (2007-2009), associate superintendent for Orange County Public Schools in Virginia (2005-2007), and chief administrative officer and regional vice president for curriculum and operations for Mosaica Education’s Arts and Technology Academy Public Charter School (2001-2005).
Dr. Jackson also spent seven years as a principal in the Henrico County Public Schools and Durham Public Schools. He began his teaching career in 1988 in Wake County, where he eventually went on to become an assistant principal. In addition to his K-12 experience, he has also worked as an adjunct professor at High Point University, NC State University (NCSU), Gardner-Webb University, and George Mason University.
In addition to being honored as the 2020 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Jackson was also named Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance in 2013 and 2019, as well as the 2013 Administrator of the Year by the NC Association of Educational Office Professionals. In 2018, he was awarded the Friday Medal for Innovation in Technology by NCSU’s William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. And under Dr. Jackson’s leadership, NRMPS received the 2014 Magna Award from the National School Boards Association for the district’s student reassignment process.
Dr. Jackson received his bachelor’s degree in music education from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. He went on to earn master’s and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from NC Central University in Durham, NC, and Walden University in Minneapolis, MN, respectively.
Dr. Jackson is married to Dr. Tawannah G. Allen-Jackson, an associate professor in the Stout School of Education at High Point University. He is the father of two adult children, and he has one grandson.
Dr. Tawannah G. Allen-Jackson joins her husband, Dr. Anthony Jackson with several Chatham County school board members. (photo by Gene Galin)
Dr. Jackson looks forward to leading the Chatham County Schools and engaging in the community. “I am extremely honored to have been selected to serve the Chatham County community as superintendent,” said Dr. Jackson. “I am very appreciative for the board’s confidence in me, and I look forward to working collaboratively with the board of education, staff, and the community to create amazing experiences, opportunities, and outcomes for all students.”