District 65 Superintendent

Since 2020 Dr. Devon Horton has served as the Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65. He’s a native of Chicago, Illinois who was impacted by redlining. Devon learned the true value of equity early. Throughout his experience in education, from the lens of 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.

Devon Horton is a disruptive leader with an unwavering belief in the potential of 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 that he has led develops a robust culture of equity-centered decision making. Data and research provides 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 teachers who have the desire and passion to make a difference in today’s society. He is a leader who operates with a sense of urgency to create dramatic, systemic and rapid change. Dr. Horton has been seen as an anti-racist leader across the nation. 

Dr. Horton lives by the creed that “Equity in Action” 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 by RTM.

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!