Cheryl Watson-Harris formally approved as DeKalb County School Superintendent

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Cheryl Watson-Harris has been officially selected as the next superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, the county's Board of Education announced Thursday. 

Cheryl Watson-Harris  (DeKalb County School District)

"We are excited and proud to officially welcome Mrs. Watson-Harris to DeKalb County School District as our next superintendent,” said Board Chair Marshall Orson.“Her experience as both an innovator at the New York City Department of Education and a passionate champion for children is precisely what we need to continue positioning our students for success."

SEE ALSO: DeKalb County Superintendent finalist excited for opportunity

Prior to selecting Watson-Harris, the DeKalb County school board members voted 4-3 on May 11 to reject a contract for Rudy Crew to lead the suburban Atlanta district. The board of the 99,000-student district previously voted in April to make Crew its sole finalist for the job. 

Watson-Harris was then named the newest sole finalist in the board’s search for a superintendent on June 4. 

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Under Georgia law, the board was required to wait 14 days before voting to hire Watson-Harris.

Watson-Harris was most recently the First Deputy Chancellor for the New York City Department of Education (DOE), which is the largest school district in the country.

Cheryl Watson-Harris  (DeKalb County School District)

During her career, she has worked in both New York and Boston as a teacher, a principal, and an administrator, but she has relatives who live in DeKalb County.

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