Superintendent

Superintendent Yolonda Brown has been committed to urban education for more than 30 years. She has a proven track record of improving student growth and achievement across different student populations by instituting and transforming systems that educate and address the needs of the whole child.

Superintendent Brown has served as a middle school science and social studies teacher, district-level model teacher leader/facilitator, principal, associate superintendent of schools and Chief Academic Officer in Atlanta Public Schools (APS), the 7th largest school district in Georgia.

In Superintendent Brown’s recent role as the Chief Academic Officer at APS, she led one of the two largest divisions within the school district and she drove the academic strategy for the district’s 1.6-billion-dollar budget. At APS, she developed a comprehensive academic framework to increase student outcomes and fulfill the district’s equity commitments. This resulted in historic year-over-year student achievement gains in grades three to five in literacy and numeracy, and consistent increases in the four-year high school graduation rates. In 2023, the APS graduation rate reached an all-time high of 86.6 percent, which surpassed the state’s graduation rate for the first time in the district’s history. In addition, her academic strategy resulted in 10 of the 15 traditional neighborhood schools identified by the Georgia Department of Education as Comprehensive Improvement Schools (CIS), being removed from the 2023 State identified list.

As the Superintendent of Petersburg City Public Schools (PCPS), Superintendent Brown is leading a bold, student-centered transformation, building trust, strengthening instructional quality, and driving academic growth. She works hand in hand with the PCPS School Board, Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), and the PCPS teachers, staff, and community to ensure that the school division transforms opportunities, learning, and success for every student in Petersburg so that they graduate with a life filled with choices.
Superintendent Brown received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Clemson University, a Master of Education Degree in Middle Grades Education from Mercer University, and an Educational Leadership Certification and Instructional Supervision Endorsement from Clark-Atlanta University. She is a member of YMCA of Greater Richmond Board of Directors, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Women Leading Ed, and is active on task forces, and advisory committees supporting her commitment to all students but specifically historically marginalized students.

Superintendent Brown is the proud mother of one son who attends Clemson University and she passionately provides care and support for her elderly mother. In her free time, she loves to listen to music, dance, and watch movies.