The Dayton Public Schools Board of Education has selected three finalists to move forward in the Superintendent search process. 

All three candidates are diverse leaders with strong instructional backgrounds, experience in an urban setting, and proven track records of transforming schools and improving results for students. In addition, all three have strong ties to Ohio.

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

*Please click each candidate’s name for more information.

“The Board was very impressed with each of the finalists,” said Board President Dr. Chrisondra Goodwine. “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.” 

These candidates represent decades of experience in public education and were selected after an initial interview process with the Board of Education and the Alma Advisory Group. 

“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 Board is excited to invite the community to participate in the final interview process. Students, caregivers, staff and community will participate in panel interviews with each candidate. There are three ways that the Dayton community can participate in the superintendent search in the near future: 

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

Members of the Dayton community, including staff, teachers, and parents or caregivers, may nominate themselves or someone else to participate on an interview panel. If you are selected for an interview panel, you must be available to participate in two virtual trainings to be held in mid- to end-of-January. The DPS Board, in collaboration with the Alma Advisory Group, will ensure that all panels have a diverse representation of the Dayton community. The selection of panelists will take place in mid-January. Finalist interviews will be conducted in early February.

The search process is expected to run through early 2024, with the goal of the selected superintendent starting on July 1, 2024.

For updates on the superintendent search process, please visit DaytonPublic.com.