Agenda Item
b. PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION
Summary: Presented by: Ms. Allyson Gevertz, Board Chair
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education approve the hiring recommendation of Neill O. Crosslin, Ed.D. to the position of Area 2 Superintendent in the Office of the Superintendent, as discussed in the executive session.
Relative Disclosure:
In accordance with BOE Policy, GAGD-Section G, Mandatory Disclosure by the Superintendent, Neill O. Crosslin, Ed.D is the candidate recommended for the Area 2 Superintendent position. He is the spouse of the Senior Coordinator of Counseling, in the Department of Student Advancement, and the child of a Gifted Teacher at Fairington Elementary School.
Neill O. Crosslin, Ed.D
Executive Director of Leadership Development
Coalition builder with the proven ability to move large and complex organizations toward a positive
culture of continuous improvement.
● Passionate school system leader, skilled in instructional leadership and human capital management,
with a strong focus on transformation that aligns values, goals, strategies, and resources.
● Award-winning career educator with experience spanning teaching, school leadership, and district-
level roles (including Executive Director) within urban school districts.
● Responsible steward of budgets totaling over 4.9 million, and supervision of over 200 employees.
EDUCATION, TRAINING, & CREDENTIALS
Ed.D., Educational Leadership, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
M.Ed., Educational Leadership, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
B.S., Music Education, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL
Georgia Leadership Certification – Tier II (Superintendent)
Aspiring Superintendent’s Academy, AASA, (2026)
National Principal Supervisor’s Academy, AASA, (2024)
Partnership for Leaders in Education (PLE; University of Virginia), 2018/2020-2022
USHCA (Urban School Human Capital Academy), 2024
Georgia Administrator of the Year Finalist (Georgia Association for Alternative Education), 2023
EXPERIENCE
Executive Director of Leadership Development
Clarke County Schools / Athens Georgia 2020-
present
Leads the supervision and development of principals and directors, delivering professional learning and
leadership support across district schools. Collaborative direction for the planning, organizing, and
implementation of internal and external leadership development initiatives to include state, regional, and
national agencies and organizations.
Principal
Fulton County Schools / Atlanta, Georgia 2013-2019
Directed all academic and operational functions of a PreK–5 campus with 820 students and 110 staff, including
instructional leadership, talent management, and systems for continuous improvement.
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION
■ Delivered system-wide performance gains in 2023, including CCRPI Content Mastery (+3.3%) and
English Language Arts (+4.6%); exceeding state averages.
■ Supported targeted literacy initiatives and instructional support resulting in an 18% increase in student
reading proficiency. Efforts were recognized by the state school superintendent for advancing academic
outcomes and enhancing literacy development within the district.
■ Supported targeted math initiatives that resulted in 94.1% of 8th grade students scoring proficient or
above on the Algebra I End-of-Course Test; recognized by the state school superintendent for advancing
academic outcomes.
Neill O. Crosslin, Ed.D
■ Collaborated with school district instructional leads and Georgia Leadership Institute for School
Improvement (GLISI) team to institute literacy campaigns supporting structured literacy for students K-
12.
■ Led school turnaround efforts that raised CCRPI by 18.4 points (2019), moving from 60.3 to 78.7.
Gains included Gap Closure (100, +71.9), Progress (90.3, +12.5), Readiness (79.1, +2.2), and
Content Mastery (54.4, +8.6).
■ Earned multiple state and district recognitions for school improvement, including Title I Reward
School (Top 5% for achievement, 2019), Beating the Odds School (2019), and Title I Reward High
Progress School (Top 10% for growth, 2017). Earlier efforts increased CCRPI by 16.1 points
(2014), ranking 4th highest among all Title I schools in the district.
OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP
▪ Developed and managed a school-based budget of 4.9 million dollars to include personnel, non-
personnel, and grant appropriated funds.
▪ Led the planning and execution of district-wide graduation ceremonies, creating streamlined
processes for logistics, facilities, security, and staff coordination; ensured smooth, high-quality
events for thousands of students and families annually (2020-2023).
▪ Coordinated with school district leads to facilitate Local School Governance Team (LSGT)
University, aligning community stakeholders and school principals to review and approve School
Improvement Plans in compliance with district and state policy.
▪ Directed budget development and resource allocation across multiple schools and departments,
aligning fiscal priorities with district goals while ensuring compliance with state and federal
guidelines.
▪ Supported school leaders’ implementation of safety protocols and emergency preparedness plans,
strengthening crisis response systems and achieving 100% compliance with district and state
standards.
▪ Collaborated with HR to streamline staffing processes, ensuring timely hiring, onboarding, and
support for instructional and operational staff.
▪ Established a School Leader Playbook outlining standard operating procedures for facilities, budget,
and maintenance monitoring, driving greater accountability and operational efficiency across
schools.
HUMAN CAPITAL & TALENT MANAGEMENT
▪ Developed a coaching and tracking mechanism to build leadership team capacity via one to one
coaching.
▪ Designed and managed an Aspiring Leader pipeline function, creating systems to identify, develop,
and promote onsite staff; outcomes included advancement of 18 leaders into higher roles
(instructional coaches, assistant principals, principals, and a principal supervisor).
▪ Established and led a Professional Learning Community model as a teacher induction system,
embedding collaboration and performance analysis to accelerate new teacher growth and
effectiveness.
▪ Implemented structured performance management systems, collaborating with HR and principals to
provide timely feedback, improvement plans, and leadership coaching for underperforming staff.
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Neill O. Crosslin, Ed.D
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
▪ Unleashing the Power of Collaboration: The Journey of One Alternative High School Achieving Tier I Success
Georgia Association for Alternative Education: Atlanta, Ga. September (2023)
▪ Professional School Counselors: Fostering Positive Relationships with Principals and District Leadership
Georgia School Counselors Association; Augusta, Ga. November (2019)
▪ Effective Teacher/Staff Evaluation: The Assistant Principal’s Role
Fulton County School District; October (2015)
▪ Extreme Leadership: How to Prepare for the Principalship While Serving as an Assistant Principal
Fulton County School District; July (2013)
▪ Student’s Perceptions of Motivation in the Secondary Classroom
The University of West Georgia, Carrolton, Georgia; July (2012)
▪ Change Leadership: How to Affect Change in an Effective Manner in the DeKalb County School District
Stone Mountain, Georgia; July (2011)
▪ No Child Left Behind Symposium (Equity vs. Adequacy)
Savannah, Georgia; February (2008)
▪ Effective Test-Taking Strategies for Educational Leadership Licensure Exams
Milton, Massachusetts; July (2007)
▪ Qualitative Research: GSTEP (Georgia Systemic Teacher Evaluation Program)
The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia; July (2004)
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Faculty, Cambridge College School of Educational Leadership 2007-2013
Assistant Principal, Creekside High School, Fulton County Schools 2012-
2013
Assistant Principal, Stone Mountain Elementary School, DeKalb County Schools 2007-
2012
High School Teacher, Cedar Grove High School, DeKalb County Schools 2004-
2007
Middle School Teacher, Salem Middle School, DeKalb County Schools 1999-
2004
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
▪ GSSA (Georgia School Superintendent Association)
▪ AASA (American Association of School Administrators)
▪ GAEL (Georgia Association of Educational Leaders)
▪ ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
▪ PAGE (Professional Association of Georgia Educators)
▪ GAE (Georgia Association of Educators)
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Neill O. Crosslin, Ed.D
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