Incoming Durham Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Lewis will begin his new role next month, bringing with him 22 years of education experience. 

He’s leaving Kansas, where he served as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools for the past six years. Lewis sees many political parallels as he prepares for his new post. 

Similar to Durham, Lawrence was a “blue dot in a red state,” Lewis said. Kansas has conservative supermajorities in its House and Senate, along with a Democratic governor, mirroring North Carolina. 

Lewis said he has seen the positive strides put forward by diversity, equity and inclusion offices, especially in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, that are now being dismantled in Kansas. He is aware of the recent UNC System decision to eliminate positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. 

Lewis has been praised for his work within the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, but he acknowledged the progress from those efforts was “minimal.” 

“It’s unfortunate that some of the work that we know needs to be done is so politicized,” Lewis said, crediting the efforts of Gov. Laura Kelly in Kansas but citing the reluctance of conservative supermajorities in the Legislature to act on issues important to the African American community. 

Lewis said he looks forward to building relationships with North Carolina legislators and inviting them to visit Durham schools to get a firsthand look at policies impacting the education system, both positive and negative. 

“Schools can’t do this work alone,” Lewis said, adding he wants to educate others while recognizing that he will need some education as well. 

“We never want any student in their classroom to feel less than or that they caused harm,” he said. “It’s important for us to really understand, teach accurate history, so that we won’t repeat it.”

Lewis, who looks forward to being much closer to his family in Alabama, will begin his position as Durham superintendent Aug. 12. 

“That’s the work I’ve been doing pretty much my entire educational career and that’s why I do believe Durham Public Schools is a great fit for my experiences,” Lewis said, adding that questions regarding racial equity were at “every step” of his hiring process. “I just want to come in and continue and even excel at some of the work that is already taking place there.”

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