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Decatur Schools Superintendent Gyimah Whitaker to Step Down Dec. 31 After Three Years
Gyimah Whitaker, who has led City Schools of Decatur since July 2023, announced she will leave her post at the end of the year, citing new opportunities. Deputy Superintendent Karen Newton-Scott will serve as interim while the board searches for a successor.
City Schools of Decatur Superintendent Gyimah Whitaker will leave her position effective Dec. 31, she announced at the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 10, telling board members she plans to pursue new opportunities after more than three years leading the district.
Whitaker has served as superintendent since July 2023. In a statement released by the district, she called her time in Decatur one of the great privileges of her career and pointed to gains in student achievement, expanded opportunities and rising expectations across the school system.
"I am proud of what our administration and this community have achieved together, raising expectations, expanding opportunities for students, and securing real progress in academic achievement at every level," Whitaker said. "Our work together shows what is possible when student success remains the unwavering focus."
The district credited Whitaker's tenure with record-setting academic results, saying student achievement improved and achievement gaps narrowed. According to the district, its four-year graduation rate rose during her time in office, and the school system earned its highest state accountability score in history.
Whitaker also thanked the Board of Education for entrusting her with leadership of the district and said she believes the foundation built in recent years will continue to benefit Decatur students.
Her departure follows a period of scrutiny. In May, the school board was weighing her future after concerns surfaced over Whitaker recording her podcast in the same studio owned and used by her husband, a controversial podcaster.
Deputy Superintendent Karen Newton-Scott will take over as interim superintendent beginning Jan. 1 while the board conducts a search for the district's next permanent leader. The timing of the transition means the school system will enter the second half of the academic year under interim leadership as the board determines its next steps.
Whitaker's exit marks a significant leadership change for a district that has pointed to recent academic gains as a central measure of its progress. Community members and families will be watching how the board manages the search and whether the incoming superintendent continues the trajectory the district has highlighted under Whitaker's administration.