May 16, 2023 -- The Columbus City Schools Board of Education has selected Dr. Angela Chapman as the District’s next Superintendent. Dr. Chapman has been serving as Interim Superintendent since December 2022, following the announcement that Dr. Talisa Dixon would retire at the end of the school year. 

Dr. Chapman was one of three finalists being considered for the position. The two other candidates were Dr. Brian McDonald of Pasadena, California, and Dr. Eric Thomas of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Board chose Dr. Chapman after an extensive national search that began on March 27, 2023. Input was sought from Columbus City Schools teachers and staff, students and parents, business and community partners, labor unions, and elected officials. Each stakeholder group was asked what characteristics they believe are important in a Superintendent. In addition, numerous meetings were held with these groups, and finalists participated in a moderated discussion that was livestreamed on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

“Columbus City Schools is extremely fortunate to have an individual with the skills, experience and vision of Dr. Chapman to serve as our next superintendent,” said Christina Vera, Vice President of the Board of Education and co-leader of the search process. “Dr. Chapman exhibits the character and determination needed to uplift the great work of Columbus City Schools while addressing the challenges of the state’s largest school district and ensuring the best academic and personal outcomes for our students.”

Dr. Chapman joined Columbus City Schools in June 2019 as the Chief of Transformation and Leadership, where she served on the Superintendent’s Cabinet in charge of principal leadership and the regional support of school communities. This work included prioritizing school improvement, principal supervision, leadership development, and the administration of grant funds to support effective teaching and learning. She has also provided leadership in implementing a new six-region district model, led implementation of an $8 million Wallace Equity-Centered Principal Pipeline grant to support recruiting, selecting, developing and retaining school leaders, and been instrumental in implementing the district’s strategic plan. 

Prior to CCS, Dr. Chapman spent five years in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) as an Instructional Superintendent and Interim Chief of Elementary, where she was responsible for leading and managing 78 elementary schools and the Early Childhood Education Division. Prior to her tenure at DCPS, she served as the Director of Curriculum for Massillon City Schools, as a principal in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District and as an assistant principal in Euclid City Schools. She began her career in education as an elementary school teacher for five years in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District. 

Dr. Chapman holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Akron and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Ashland University. She also holds a doctorate of education (Ed.D.) in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee State University.