Dr. Russell Dyer / Cleveland City Schools Photo
Russell Dyer, director of the Cleveland City Schools system, was recently named Southeast Tennessee Superintendent of the Year by the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents.
Dyer was selected by fellow superintendents around the state because of his "leadership for learning, communication, professionalism, and community involvement," according to a news release.
"I am thankful for my fellow Southeast Tennessee regional superintendents for this honor. They are a wonderful group and together we are working hard, along with our administrators, teachers, and staff, to help each student grow academically, emotionally, socially, and physically," reads a statement from Dyer. "I am proud to represent our region this year, and I appreciate our Board of Education for trusting me with this job."
Dyer has served as director of the 5,600-student district since 2016. The former chief of staff for the district was among five finalists out of nearly two dozen who applied for the position after the city Board of Education fired then-director Martin Ringstaff.
Dyer has worked in public schools for more than 23 years in Shelby County, Collierville and Cleveland.
For the past two years, he has participated in the School Superintendents Association's National Redefining Ready Initiative to help districts improve how they prepare students for life after high school.
Recently, he led the district through a rezoning of its elementary school attendance zones and implemented a one-to-one laptop initiative for students in middle and high school, called the Blended Learning and Digital Enhancement project.
Dyer has served on the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents Legislative Committee and recently completed the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Association of Independent and Municipal Schools and the United Way of the Ocoee Region.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.