The Vance County Board of Education Tuesday night, July 21, 2015, voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Anthony “Tony” Jackson as the new superintendent of Vance County Schools.

He will begin his duties as superintendent on August 1.

Dr. Jackson’s career in public education spans 27 years in several districts in both North Carolina and Virginia. He began his teaching career in Wake County. He has served as a principal at all three levels in rural, suburban and urban districts. He also has been an associate superintendent and an executive director of curriculum and instruction.

Dr. Jackson became the superintendent of Henry County Public Schools in Virginia before he was chosen as superintendent for Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools, a position he served in for the last four years. He is described by an experienced, long-serving member of his past board as “passionate about his work and wanting to make sure the kids get the best education they can get.” He led the 1:1 digital learning initiative for students in grades 4-12 to facilitate 21^st Century learning methods and the development of a comprehensive 10-year capital improvement facility plan. During his tenure in Nash-Rocky Mount, the school system had increases in Algebra I enrollment and in the on-time cohort graduation rate and a decrease in the dropout rate. Dr. Jackson also successfully completed the school system’s first reassignment process in over 20 years.

He was named the Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance 2013-2014 Superintendent of the Year. The region encompasses several neighboring counties including Wake, Durham, Nash, Edgecombe, Franklin, Vance, Granville, Johnston, Wilson, Halifax and Northampton. In November of that year, he was one of seven finalists for the North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.

Dr. Jackson has a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from East Carolina University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from N.C. Central University and a doctorate degree in education from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He serves on the boards of the local Boys and Girls Clubs, the United Way, the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Arts Council and the Braswell Library Board of Trustees. He also holds membership in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

He has two adult children and his hobbies include singing and playing the piano.

The Vance County Board of Education wanted the next superintendent to be a person who: makes the tough decisions in the education of children in Vance County Schools; is active in the community; is self-motivated; is an advocate for resources; genuinely likes children; and wants the best for children. During the search process, the board carefully reviewed applications and supporting documentation from a field of 23 candidates from six states. The board is confident that Dr. Jackson meets the needs of Vance County Schools and that he will work with the board to lead the school system to even higher achievements.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Jackson as the new superintendent of Vance County Schools and as a new member of our community. We hope that you will be as pleased as we are to have him as our next superintendent. We also hope the community at large will welcome him here as he moves Vance County Schools to the next level.