On Aug. 12, Anthony Lewis was sworn in as the superintendent of Durham Public Schools.

Lewis began his educational journey as a special education teacher at Montgomery Public Schools, where he taught before becoming the assistant principal and eventually principal of E.D. Nixon Elementary School in Montgomery, Alabama. He was recruited to work in Kansas City, Missouri, and served in roles as principal, director of elementary schools and assistant superintendent for seven years. He became the first Black superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools in 2018, where he served until he was selected to act as the next superintendent of Durham Public Schools in August.

Throughout his career, Lewis has improved school performance and helped restore schools on the verge of 2state takeover. Lewis has demonstrated a dedication to improving overall graduation rates and closing gaps between subgroups, as well as ensuring equity in schools.

The Durham Voice sat down with Lewis on Sept. 11 to discuss his experience, priorities and plans for Durham schools. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Durham Voice: You are now almost a month into your time with Durham Public Schools. Given your experience so far, what excites you most about leading the district?

Anthony Lewis: The possibilities and the potential of Durham Public Schools excite me the most. There are some areas that are challenges, in terms of systems, processes and procedures that are absent right now. Once we get some systems in place and continue to refine those systems, I do believe that Durham Public Schools can be the premier school district in the country.

DV: What was the most impactful moment or valuable learning opportunity you experienced while the superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools?

AL: The power of student voice. Oftentimes in education, we do things to students and for students, but not necessarily with students, so it was really critical for me to start the district’s first ever Superintendent Student Advisory Council. I was talking to students about their daily lived experiences in the district, and one biracial student told me about her experiences in a literature class reading “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” That book uses the N-word over 250 times, and every time that word was mentioned, students would turn and look at her. She began to cry telling me about that experience, and it was like a gut punch. I went back to my curriculum director, and I said we’re no longer going to require that as reading. That’s just one example of the student voice, but that was a really pivotal moment for me.

DV: What are some of your top priorities for Durham Public Schools?

AL: The hallmark of my entry plan is to do a Listening and Learning Tour. The goal is to assemble large numbers of people to ask some basic questions. What’s going well? What can we do abetter job of? What should be our focus going forward? I don’t know Durham. Before I come in making changes or enhancements, it’s vitally important for me to have some contextual knowledge and hear from the people to galvanize this guiding coalition that will help us move this workforce. In terms of our next step, there is already a strategic plan in place, so based on the feedback that I receive, there may be opportunities to enhance or tweak the strategic plan that will continue to guide our work.

DV: Your background demonstrates a commitment to equity for students, especially racial equity. How do you plan to continue that work and address similar challenges in Durham?

AL: A goal for me in Durham is that student outcomes can no longer be predicated on race, socioeconomic status, gender identity or any other marginalized identity. When we use terms like achievement gap, it can sometimes put the burden on the students, like something is wrong with the students. Let me tell you, nothing’s wrong with our students. Rather, what is wrong with our system that it’s getting the results it is getting? What access and what opportunities are we not providing our scholars? My greatest hope for Durham is to understand the barriers that are in place of providing access and opportunities for all students, so that all students can thrive.

DV: Finally, what message would you like to give to the DPS community?

AL: Schools can’t do this work alone. We need our families, community partners, county and city partners to find out what their role is in improving the outcomes of all of our students. The fact of the matter is, the future of the workforce for Durham County is inside of our classrooms. In the community, we have to ask ourselves, what are we doing? What is my part? My message to community members is: We need you. Find your place in Durham Public Schools, and if you struggle to find your place, please feel free to reach out to us.

For more information on Lewis, visit dpsnc.net.