Welcome Tonya Horton - New Executive Director for North Carolina

Today marks Tonya Horton's first official day as Executive Director at Citizen Schools North Carolina.

“I’m thrilled to join Citizen Schools and lead this important work in the North Carolina region,” said Horton in a June press release. “The organization has proven results setting kids on a path to high school graduation and my goal is to grow our footprint here in North Carolina and make high school graduation and college success a reality for even more of our students.”

We are very excited about the expertise and leadership she will be bringing to our regional team. Please join us in giving Tonya a warm welcome and send your greetings via Facebook or Twitter.

Tonya brings deep education experience to our organization’s work here in North Carolina. Prior to joining Citizen Schools, as a District Transformation Coach for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Horton worked with district leadership to build capacity and structures to foster school improvement. Her work was critical in helping one of the lowest-performing districts in North Carolina make major strides forward with student achievement. Hallmarks of her work are being a thoughtful agent of change, using strategic planning and data to drive effective action, engaging communities in accessing resources for students and teachers, and building strong relationships and partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders. Previously, Horton served in varioius school district roles in North Carolina and Texas, including curriculum coordinator, student achievement specialist, middle school principal and teacher. Horton holds a B.A. in History Education and a M.A. in History from North Carolina Central University, as well as a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas. She will soon complete her doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas.