A nationally respected academic leader based in Washington, DC, Donyall Dickey is driven by a steadfast commitment to expanding access to a world-class education for all students. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Educational Epiphany, an innovative publishing and professional services organization that designs and delivers high-quality core and supplemental curricula, along with classroom resources used by school districts in more than 40 states and a growing number of countries outside of the U.S. Through Educational Epiphany, Dr. Dickey supports school- and district-level improvement efforts and leads organizational effectiveness and curriculum management reviews that bring coherence, clarity, and measurable results to complex educational systems.
Dr. Dickey began his career as a classroom teacher in Baltimore City, working in schools situated in the shadow of public housing and leading his school community to the most significant academic gains in the city. Later, Dr. Dickey taught English Literature and SAT Prep at Randallstown Senior High School (Baltimore County), leading the community to significant gains on the SAT—cementing his ability to translate strong instructional practice into measurable student achievement for diverse student groups.
Dr. Dickey went on to serve as Assistant Principal of Southwest Academy Arts & Science, where, in his first year as an administrator, he played a central role in leading the secondary school to the highest academic gains in the district. During this period, he designed and led professional learning for a faculty and staff of more than 100, with an cutting-edge emphasis on embedding literacy across content areas.
Recruited back to Baltimore City, Dr. Dickey assumed the principalship of Pimlico Middle School, a secondary school with a longstanding history of underperformance. Within a single year, he led the school to the most significant gains in the city through the implementation of a cohesive, school-wide approach grounded in systems thinking, standards-aligned instruction, data-informed decision-making, and targeted, needs-based intervention. His leadership strengthened instructional practice, cultivated a positive and affirming school culture, and reinforced a shared sense of accountability for both students and staff.
Dr. Dickey was later recruited by Howard County Public Schools to lead Murray Hill Middle School, a secondary school whose performance had fallen short of its true potential. Within a single school year, he and a team of exceptional teachers and administrators propelled the school to the most significant academic gains in the state of Maryland, outperforming more than 3,000 schools. The following year, Dr. Dickey was selected by the district to support eight fellow principals in their school improvement efforts. Under his guidance, each of these schools realized notable academic gains after periods of sustained decline or stagnant performance.
After six years of distinguished success leading schools and serving as a principal coach, Dr. Dickey was recruited by the School District of Philadelphia to serve as Regional Superintendent of Schools. In this role, he provided direct supervision and strategic leadership to 36 principals and their schools, leading the cohort to the most significant academic gains in the city.