NORFOLK, Va. — Dr. Sharon Byrdsong was officially sworn-in Tuesday morning as the latest superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools.
Byrdsong was appointed back in February after serving as acting superintendent for seven months. She becomes Norfolk's fifth superintendent in the past decade and says stability is needed at the top.
"People need to know and trust that they can believe in their leadership, and if the leadership is constantly turning over, it doesn't make parents and staff feel real good about their school division, so we definitely need that stability at the top," she said.
Byrdsong said she is dedicated to the role and points to her more than 20 years of service to the city, having spent time as assistant principal at Northside Middle School and principal of Azalea Gardens Middle School.
"They know that no matter what capacity I have served, I have given this division my all and will continue to do so," she said.
Byrdsong said her first priority is to build a strong team and fill several vacancies in key positions.
Her contract expires on June 30, 2023.
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Because of the timing of our interview with the superintendent, we did check with her about the school division's plans to address coronavirus should it appear in the Hampton Roads area.
"We met last week as an executive leadership team to talk about plans, and we also have an upcoming conference call with Dr. Linsey of the health department to solidify some things," Byrdsong explained.
The superintendent set a letter to families to give them some background and make sure they were informed but not fearful. In it, she let them know that health officials in Norfolk said the threat of the virus is low at this time.
You can read Byrdsong's full letter here: