School Board Appoints Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources

Approves Human Resources Reorganization 

The Arlington School Board has appointed Dr. Dashan Turner as the new Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. Dr. Turner is currently the Superintendent of Colonial Beach Public Schools (CBPS).

Dr. Turner brings 20 years of experience in education to Arlington Public Schools. After working in the classroom and supporting students in extracurricular activities, he became a school level administrator in 2008. Dr. Turner has served as teacher, assistant principal, principal and in several district-level leadership roles, including Director of Students Services (Essex County, VA), Director of Schools (Petersburg, VA), and Director of Administrative Services (King George County, VA).

“Dr. Turner has an extensive background in education,” said Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán. “In each role, he demonstrated his expertise and commitment to effective team building, resource allocation, improving outcomes for all students, and supporting staff. Dr. Turner is grounded by his belief that every educator and school staff member is pivotal to the success of all students.”

Dr. Turner earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. In March of 2020, he earned his Doctorate in Education from Northcentral University.

As Superintendent of Colonial Beach Public Schools, Dr. Turner has worked tirelessly to improve the division’s process for teacher recruitment, access to the employee assistance program, and ensuring the CBPS staff salaries remain competitive. In addition, as Superintendent, he enhanced the relationship between the local governing body and the School Board by improving communication, establishing key relationships, and fostering a belief in collaboration. The focus on collaboration allowed for an improved relationship between the governing body and the school district. The improved collaboration also led to several reforms within the financial departments including the approval of a resolution to support the school district’s capital improvement initiatives.

As COVID-19 has impacted education, Dr. Turner worked with regional partners to provide professional development opportunities to support the many challenges presented by COVID-19 including academic acceleration strategies for K-12 teachers and professional development on improving employee morale.

His appointment begins Nov. 1.

In addition, the School Board approved the reorganization of the Department of Human Resources to improve operational efficiencies within the department and the organization. Read more about the reorganization online.