Davie County Schools
MOCKSVILLE — The Davie County Board of Education has appointed Dr. Darrin L. Hartness as its new superintendent of schools. Hartness currently is the superintendent of the Mount Airy City Schools, a position he has held since January 2008.
In nearly two decades as an educator in North Carolina, Hartness has been a high school teacher in the Rowan-Salisbury School System, an elementary principal in Cleveland County Schools, and has held leadership positions in technology at the central office level for Stanly County Schools and Cleveland County Schools. Before serving as superintendent in Mount Airy, he was assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Cleveland County Schools. He also taught as an adjunct professor at UNC-Charlotte for several years.
During his tenure in Mount Airy, Hartness spearheaded the school system’s efforts to improve student achievement, integrate technology into teaching and learning, and increase the graduation rate. This year, Mount Airy High School was one of nine high schools selected by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to represent the state as a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School Nominee. The U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes schools that have improved student achievement to high levels, especially among disadvantaged students.
Hartness was named the 2009 Outstanding Young Educator by the N.C. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Among other honors and recognitions, he has received the Apple Distinguished Educator award and was named the N.C. Technology Educator of the Year in 1997. In 2007, he received the Champion for Children Award from the Cleveland County Partnership for Children. He was a finalist for the 2011 A. Craig Phillips Superintendent of the Year Award.
He also serves on the State Superintendent’s Technology Advisory Council and last year was appointed by Gov. Bev Perdue to the North Carolina eLearning Commission. Hartness was part of the first class of North Carolina Teaching Fellows, and the first Teaching Fellow to serve as a North Carolina superintendent.
Hartness earned his doctorate in educational leadership and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction/ instructional systems technology from UNC-Charlotte. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in technology/secondary education from Appalachian State University.
Hartness and his wife Lisa — a graduate of the Davie County School System — are the parents of two daughters, Madison and Molly, ages 15 and 12.
“I am tremendously honored to be chosen by the Board of Education to serve Davie County Schools,” Hartness said in a press release. “I look forward to meeting students, staff, parents, and community members and listening to their ideas and perspectives. Davie County Schools has a track record of excellence, and my goal is to support teachers and staff to provide a first class education for all of the children we serve. As my family and I move to Davie County, we are excited about being part of a community that supports education.”