Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65
Since 2020 Dr. Devon Horton has served as the proud Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65, a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school district just north of the City of Chicago. Dr. Horton is a native Chicagoan who was impacted by redlining and learned the true value of equity early. Throughout his experience in education, from the lens of a teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Assistant Superintendent, Chief of Schools, and now Superintendent, passion, persistence and powerful practices is his proven formula for success. Dr. Horton’s research is focused on school leaders’ impact on Turnaround Schools.
He is a Disruptive leader with an unwavering belief in the potential for success for all children. He has a proven track record of transforming educational institutions into sustainable, high-performing organizations. His accomplishments in leadership were rooted in Chicago Public Schools. Under Dr. Horton’s leadership, every team he has led has developed a robust culture of equity-centred decision-making. Data and research provide the target, but the art and science of teaching is where the magic happens for all marginalized students.
Dr. Horton is eager to support communities to help identify leaders and educators with the desire and passion for making a difference in today’s society. He is a leader who creates a sense of urgency to create dramatic, systemic and rapid change. Dr. Horton is seen as an anti-racist leader across the nation and has presented his work at several local, regional, and national education-related conferences. He recently won the 2022 RTM National EdTech All Star award for his support in the education of other dynamic leaders.
Dr. Horton lives by the creed, “Equity in Action” and believes it is the only way to build systemic change by focusing on shifting policy, people and practice. He has built three Urban Teacher Residency programs for three different school districts. These programs prioritize selecting and training future teachers who must have a strong belief in Anti-racist education. While serving in his first year as District 65 Superintendent, he was selected as a finalist for Equity Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Horton created and lives by the motto of “Students do not fail, it’s the systems that we create as adults, that fail our students!!
