Dr. Darryl S. Adams
Dr. Darryl S. Adams, retired Superintendent of Schools for the Coachella Valley Unified School District, began his career as a professional musician, singer/songwriter and music publisher in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. After ten years in the music business, he moved to Southern California where he was hired by the Los Angeles Unified School District as Music Teacher and Band Director. He has served as an educational leader as middle school assistant principal, high school assistant principal, high school principal, central office director, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Memphis, his Masters of Education Administration degree from California State University, Los Angeles, and his Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Azusa Pacific University. In addition, he earned his Urban Superintendents Academy Certification from the
University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and AASA (the American Association of School Administrators).
Dr. Adams was named by the White House Office of Educational Technology and the U.S. Department of Education as one of the Top 100 Superintendents in the Nation helping to transform education! He was openly praised by President Obama for his leadership and creative approach in ensuring that all students in his district had the tools and the broadband internet service allowing them to access learning opportunities 24 hours a day! The President particularly gave Dr. Adams a most celebrated shout out for his innovative and creative "Wifi-on-Wheels" program that installed Wifi routers on school buses and parked them in neighborhoods and trailer home parks where there was no connectivity.
Dr. Adams' work and leadership, has also been recognized by The Center for Digital Education, which recently honored him as one of the Top 30 Technologist, Transformers and Trailblazers in the nation. Under his leadership, his former district is an Apple Distinguished Program School District for the second time, has received the California School Board Association's Golden Bell award twice and the National School Board Associations Magna Awards - Certificate of Honorable Mention award. Dr. Adams also guided his district's entrance into the prestigious Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. His former district has also been recently recognized by The Learning Counsel’s as one of the Top Ten Districts in the Nation in Digital Conversion. Dr. Adams has received the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year Award, the Families in School's Excellence in Parent Engagement Award, the Sol Azteca International Hispanic Award for Education Leadership, the Learning Counsel's Award of Excellence for Digital Curriculum and Content Strategy and the Open Education Consortium Award. He has been recognized as Tech and Learning Most Influential People of 2016, the Desert Sun newspaper's People to Watch, THE Journal's Ed Tech Innovator and Education Dive's People to Watch in 2017!
Dr. Adams' work at his former district has resulted in a graduation rate that exceeds the state and national average (84%)! All students in the district now have access to the California A through G curriculum and a majority of high school students in the district are either in one of the 26 Career Academies and Career Pathways or in the Advancement via Individual Determination program (AVID)! These two programs have a graduation rate of 95% and 98%, respectively. Dr. Adams is very proud of the collaboration that gathered together to established the Aviation Academy which is the first school district academy in the nation to receive an operable ready for service Gulf Stream II corporate jet! Dr. Adams recently led the district in implementing a unique personalized learning program utilizing the Summit Schools Personalized Learning Platform!
Dr. Adams is widely recognized as The Rock and Roll, Hip Hop and Soul Superintendent and Thought Leader advocating that "Every Child Be Connected" and provided with a 21st Century College, Career and Citizenship education program! He now provides unique "keynote concerts," a new concept in educating and edutaining audiences worldwide. He also provides excellent consulting services, professional business and organizational leadership development programs and various training workshops and seminars!
Dr. Adams' articles have appeared in education journals at the state, national and international level. He has written for ON CUE magazine, THE Journal and his work have also been featured in articles for the Huffington Post, Education Week, eSchool News, the Association of California School Administrators, etc. His creative servant leadership philosophy and principles have also been featured on the PBS NewsHour, the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, ABC News, and the White House Office of Educational Technology and the United States Department of Education websites.