Clarksdale Municipal School District trustees have unanimously selected Dr. Toya Harrell-Matthews to serve as superintendent.
Dr. Harrell-Matthews, a Clarksdale native, has served as interim superintendent since May.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the school board, parents, staff, students, and the Clarksdale community to provide the very best educational experiences for all students” said Dr. Harrell-Matthews.
She said teaching the whole child and ensuring optimal conditions for teaching and learning are at the forefront of her decision-making and serve as her guiding philosophy.
The daughter of two educators, her public education career is centered around advocating and supporting the very best educational opportunities for all students.
A dedicated leader, Dr. Harrell-Matthews has worked in the Clarksdale Municipal School District for over 23 years. From 2017-22, she served as an Assistant Superintendent of CMSD, where she was responsible for directing and supervising the overall activities of developing, implementing, and evaluating all district curriculum and instructional support programs for Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.
She was also instrumental in bringing the Coahoma County Pre-K coalition to the school district.
Harrell-Matthews began her career in 1999 with CMSD as a School Counselor, going on to serve as a Principal and as a Elementary Curriculum Director – a role in which included mentoring and evaluating elementary instructional staff, and identifying resources to fulfill contract requirements.
Superintendent Harrell-Matthews is a 1993 honor graduate of Clarksdale High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Tougaloo College. Additionally, she earned a Master of Administration in School Counseling from Delta State University, an Educational Specialist degree and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mississippi State University.
Dr. Harrell-Matthews serves on the board of the Reading Road Map, is a former fellow with The Southern Education Foundation – RELN, a graduate of Leadership Clarksdale, a member of the National Education Association (NEA), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
