BOE Names Dr. Duke Bradley, III the Sole Finalist for Newton County School Superintendent
In a unanimous decision, the Newton County Board of Education has approved Dr. Duke Bradley, III as the sole finalist for the position of Superintendent of the Newton County School System. Pending final board approval following a mandatory 15-day waiting period, Dr. Bradley would succeed Ms. Samantha Fuhrey, who retired in June. Currently serving as the Chief of Staff of Henry County Schools in Henry County, Georgia, Dr. Bradley offers a wealth of experience and leadership.
“I’m just humbled beyond measure,” said Dr. Bradley after the meeting. “I think it is very clear that this Board of Education had a very clear design on what it was that they wanted in a superintendent. I’m just hopeful that I can meet their expectations and I’m very much looking forward to engaging with the community over the next several weeks and months.”
Dr. Bradley's educational journey began with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1998, followed by a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1999. In 2003, he obtained his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the John Marshall Law School in Athens, Georgia, and later added a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in 2015.
As Chief of Staff of the Henry County School System since 2021, Dr. Bradley has played a pivotal role as an advisor and driver of performance for key projects and strategic initiatives within the district. His responsibilities encompass leadership and direct oversight over policy, legal compliance, communications, constituent services, and special programs. Prior to his current role, he served as the Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Schools for the Beaufort County School System in Beaufort, South Carolina, from 2020 to 2021, where he achieved notable milestones, including a district-high graduation rate of 88.5 percent and surpassing state averages in all tested subject areas during the 2021 school year.
Before stepping into district leadership, Dr. Bradley served as a school principal for a decade, with notable roles including the turnaround principal of Banneker High School in Fulton County Schools, College Park, Georgia, and as the executive director of Wesley International Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. He was also the founding principal of Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
From October 2019 to June 2020, Dr. Bradley held the position of Vice President of School Leadership and Accountability for 3DE Schools by Junior Achievement in Atlanta, Georgia. In this capacity, he led the strategy for programmatic innovation in 23 schools across 14 school districts and five states, fostering the launch of innovative school models in various districts, including Baltimore County Schools in Maryland, Los Angeles Unified School District in California, and Houston Independent School District in Texas.
Additionally, Dr. Bradley has contributed to the field of education as an adjunct professor for the Citadel, Zucker Family Graduation School of Education, and as a consultant for the University of Virginia, Partnership for Leaders in Education. His early career included teaching secondary English in the DeKalb County School District in Decatur, Georgia, and serving as a congressional intern in the Office of U.S. Congressman John Lewis, focusing on Education Policy Research.
Dr. Bradley is actively engaged in community service and leadership, having served as a board member for the Shaquille O'Neal Boys and Girls Club in Henry County, Georgia, and as a Child Well-Being Steering Committee member for the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. He is a proud member of the 100 Black Men of America, Atlanta, Georgia Chapter, and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Eta Omega Chapter. Moreover, he has lent his expertise as an advisory board member of the Wallace Foundation, Building Pipelines of Equity-Centered Leaders Project.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Bradley has garnered numerous awards and honors, including District-Wide Principal of the Year for Fulton County Schools, recognition as a School Turnaround Leader by the Georgia State Department of Education, the Community Partner Champion Award conferred by United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, and the Making the Difference Community Service Award from Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Newton County Board of Education chair, Mrs. Shakila Henderson-Baker, noted why Dr. Bradley was the Board’s top choice.
“I think it was apparent by Dr. Bradley’s words at the end of our meeting that his energy is contagious,” she said. “I also think the fact that the Board was unified in the decision really showed that no matter what our issues were that were brought forward and no matter what the community brought forward in the stakeholder survey—everything matched up and it worked out well together.”
For more information or media inquiries, please contact Sherri Partee, Director of Public Relations for Newton County Schools, at
[email protected].
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