The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education has appointed Tricia McManus as the next Superintendent for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. McManus has been leading the district as Interim Superintendent since November 2020 when Superintendent Dr. Angela Hairston resigned.

WS/FCS Board of Education Chair Malishai Woodbury said, “We need solid, proven, continuous leadership because there is important work happening now that must continue, we don’t have time to wait. I feel Tricia provides just that. We know from experience when a new leader comes into a district there is a year or more of observation, planning, restructuring, and reorganizing. This district has been through that, we have taken a long hard look at our schools, listened to our community and are ready to move forward with plans we have worked on for the past year and a half. Taking the time to search for a new leader, then give them time to learn and understand the system will slow down our plans to improve our underperforming schools, improve literacy, and move our students forward. We have a proven, successful leader right here that already knows us well. She’s demonstrated she can take the reins and continue the work so every child can succeed.”

“I am really excited to be given the opportunity to continue leading the district,” said Superintendent Tricia McManus. “This means the work of improving our underperforming schools, increasing literacy outcomes, improving kindergarten readiness, and focusing on recruitment and retention of high performing staff can continue. In addition, we can move full speed ahead toward implementing the equity driven components of our strategic plan so that every student experiences a high-quality education in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.”

McManus began working as the Deputy Superintendent for WS/FCS in June of 2020. She led the “Our Safe Return” plan as schools phased back to in-person learning. She also worked with staff and community partners to get as many employees as possible vaccinated even before teachers were “eligible” under state guidelines.

Prior to WS/FCS, McManus was the Assistant Superintendent for Leadership and Professional Development, and School Transformation in the Hillsborough County Schools in Florida since 2016. Before that role, she served as a Director and Executive Director of that district’s Leadership Development for five years. From 1990 to 2009, McManus spent time in a variety of roles within the district. She served as an elementary teacher, resource teacher, elementary assistant principal and then principal.

She has a proven track record for turning around under performing schools both as a principal and as an assistant superintendent. As a principal, she moved a school from an F to a C and another from a C to an A. As an assistant superintendent she worked to move at least one school from an F to a C in one year; as the assistant superintendent for the 50 lowest performing schools, she decreased D and F grades from 32 to 26 in one year and was predicted to decrease the number to six in the second year.

McManus has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida.