Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson Appointed Superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools

The Board of Education of Frederick County (the Board) appointed Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson to serve as the next superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools.

Dr. Dyson will assume the role on July 1, 2022, contingent upon approval by the State Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Dyson’s contract was approved and signed at today’s Board of Education meeting and is posted at fcps.org.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Dyson to FCPS,” Board of Education President Brad Young said. “Her leadership and expertise are unparalleled, but her commitment to each and every student is what impressed the Board most.” Her mantra is “Every child. Every day,” which elevates our collective responsibility in honoring the uniqueness of every student and aligning the resources necessary to support their needs. 

Among an impressive and diverse field of Superintendent candidates, Dr. Dyson’s passion and experience in raising expectations and achieving results for all students resonated during the Board’s selection process. Her commitment to learning is evident in her coaching, supervision, and support of staff members to create favorable outcomes for all students. Dr. Dyson is also dedicated to listening and acting with intention. Throughout her career, she has embraced “you said; we did” in her communication to demonstrate her trust and follow-through on student, teacher, staff and community feedback. Dr. Dyson’s colleagues describe her work ethic as legendary and her leadership style as collaborative, transparent, approachable and strategic. 

Dr. Dyson has been an educator since 1999, when she began her teaching career. In her current role as an area associate superintendent in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Dr. Dyson oversees 70 schools ranging from elementary to high school and inclusive of dedicated special education and career and technology programs with a combined enrollment of 53,000 students. Prior to her current position, she served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal intern, principal, director of family and community engagement, and director of school support and improvement of elementary schools.  

She also arrives with significant appreciation for and connection to Frederick County, particularly since she earned her Doctorate of Organizational Leadership from Hood College. “I am deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to join the FCPS family,” Dr. Dyson said. “Together, we are going to build on the educational success FCPS is known for and continue to make great things happen for all of our students.”

The Board of Education of Frederick County utilized the firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to help with the superintendent search, a process that began with community input and included many highly qualified candidates. Dr. Mike Markoe will continue serving as Interim Superintendent through June 30, 2022. The Board of Education and the entire FCPS community are grateful to Dr. Markoe for his leadership and focus on stability and continuous improvement during this time.

Dr. Dyson eagerly looks forward to meeting students and their families and is excited to meet district and school-based staff this summer and fall. More details about future engagement opportunities will be shared with the community soon.

Bio

Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson currently serves as area associate superintendent in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) supervising 70 schools ranging from elementary to high school. Her mantra is, “Every child. Every day,” which elevates our collective responsibility in honoring the uniqueness in every student and aligning the resources necessary to support their needs.

She believes strongly that leadership requires strategic thinking and the ability to see what needs to be done; understanding the underlying forces impacting student learning; and, the courage to initiate actions to support student achievement. It is through strategic and consistent supervisory and coaching visits focused on data monitoring and analysis, culturally proficient instruction, professional learning, and organizational excellence that schools are able to achieve results for all students.

Prior to her current position, she served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal intern, principal, director of family and community engagement and director of school support and improvement of elementary schools.  

After graduating from Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Dr. Dyson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Towson University, Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Hood College. She began her teaching career in 1999. Her passion for learning is evident in her coaching, supervision, and support of staff members to create favorable outcomes for all students.