Superintendent’s Bio

Marcus J. Newsome, Ed.D.
Superintendent,
Chesterfield County Public Schools

Marcus J. Newsome was appointed superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools on Oct. 1, 2006. With more than 59,000 students, Chesterfield County Public Schools is the fourth-largest school division in Virginia and among the 100 largest districts in the United States.

As the school division’s chief executive officer, Dr. Newsome has implemented creative and innovative initiatives to promote student success. These initiatives include preschool education, world languages in elementary schools, algebra for all students during their middle school years and increased enrollment in rigorous courses such as Advance Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual enrollment and career and technical education.

Under Dr. Newsome’s leadership, Chesterfield County Public Schools continues to add to its excellent reputation for high performance: The division made adequately yearly progress under No Child Left Behind for the past three years; 42 schools earned the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education, Board of Education’s VIP Excellence Award or Board of Education’s VIP Competence to Excellence Award; and student achievement on high-stakes testing continues to exceed state averages. In 2008, Chesterfield became the largest school division in Virginia to have all schools fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education. In 2009, the school division became the largest in Virginia to have all of its schools fully accredited two years in a row.

Before moving to Chesterfield, Dr. Newsome served as superintendent of Newport News Public Schools, the largest school division on the Virginia Peninsula. During his tenure, Newport News earned national recognition and all high schools were ranked by Newsweek magazine as among America’s Best High Schools. Dr. Newsome has also worked in Prince George’s County (Md.) Public Schools, the 17th-largest school system in the country with more than 130,000 students, serving as a regional executive director, director of student support programs and elementary and secondary school administrator. He also has worked as a curriculum writer, dean of students and art and mathematics teacher for the District of Columbia Public Schools.

Dr. Newsome serves or has served as co-chair of Gov. Tim Kaine’s Education Transition Policy Committee; Harvard University Associate in Practice; chair of the College of William and Mary School University Research Network; chair of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium; chair of the MathScience Innovation Center Board of Directors; chair of the Virginia Superintendents Region II Study Group; co-chair of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents Legislative Committee, vice chair of the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School Superintendents Steering Committee; and associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is founder of the Newport News Family University Network, founder of MegaMen Mentors and a member of the Association of American School Administrators, National Staff Development Council and National School Boards Association. He has served on the boards of Virginia Communities In Schools, United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs and Boy Scouts.

He earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Bowie State University in Maryland, a doctorate in religious education from International Seminary in Plymouth, Fla., a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Bowie State University and a bachelor’s degree from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.

Dr. Newsome is the recipient of numerous awards, including the FBI Community Service Award, NAACP Living Legends Award, Presidential Citation from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and Virginia School Board Association Award of Distinction. He has served in children and youth ministry for more than 20 years. Dr. Newsome is married to a school teacher and is the father of three children.