About Dr. Crystal Hill

  • Interim Superintendent Crystal Hill visiting with local elementary school students

     

    Crystal L. Hill, Ed.D., is superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), the 16th largest public school system in the United States and the 2nd largest in North Carolina. She is responsible for 141,000 students enrolled in the district’s 184 schools under the leadership and support of nearly 20,000 employees. She is the first African-American female to lead the district.

    The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education selected Dr. Hill as the district’s superintendent in July 2023 after an extensive national search. That search, which was led by a private firm, produced 39 competitive applicants – many of whom were experienced superintendents.

    Prior to her appointment as superintendent, she served Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as interim superintendent where she facilitated the district’s first fully funded county budget request in recent history. She also led the district in improving academic outcomes for students during a year filled with multiple transitions.

    During her tenure at CMS, Dr. Hill served as chief of staff, overseeing the Office of Strategy Management and Title IX and managing the superintendent’s cabinet operations. In that role, she also was the chief adviser to the superintendent and the liaison between the board of education and the cabinet.

    Dr. Hill began her 26-year career as a first grade teacher in Guilford County Schools. She has served in multiple instructional and executive roles in school districts throughout North Carolina. Prior to joining CMS in May 2022, she served as chief academic officer for Cabarrus County Schools, where she led the district in achieving its highest level of academic performance in history.

    She currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Leading on Opportunity Council, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Education, and READ Charlotte. In 2020, she co-chaired the North Carolina State Board of Education Literacy Task Force.

    Dr. Hill earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in instructional technology, both from North Carolina A&T State University. She also earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Gardner-Webb University.