Dr. Stephanie L.
Patton
Area Superintendent · Columbus City Schools
“Every child deserves a great school, every educator deserves a great leader, and every community deserves both.”
When Dr. Stephanie L. Patton leads, schools transform. Enrollment grows, principals stay, and students show up, not because of mandates, but because of culture.
Over 33 years in public education, she has led at every level, from the classroom to the Ohio Department of Education, where she served as a Turnaround Specialist, partnering with district executive leaders and principals on school improvement strategies to increase academic achievement, to the superintendent’s cabinet. She knows what it takes to move a school from compliance to excellence because she’s done it, repeatedly, in the hardest conditions.
As Area Superintendent of 19 schools spanning K-12 in Columbus City Schools, she co-led the Graduation Action Plan that produced an 83% graduation rate, the highest in district history, alongside a 22% decrease in chronic absenteeism and 100% principal retention. Her region’s schools became destinations, not just assignments.
She serves on the board of the Association for Middle Level Education, having recently completed her term as Board Chair, and led Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls, as its longest-serving principal, to recognition as a top 10 middle school in Ohio.
Career
Area Superintendent
Columbus City Schools
2023–Present
Strategic oversight of 19 schools spanning K-12 with a budget exceeding $4 million. Co-led the Graduation Action Plan resulting in an 83% high school graduation rate, the highest in district history.
Supervisor of Equity Centered Principal Pipeline
Columbus City Schools
2022–2023
Developed the district's leadership training program and partnered with HR on recruitment and retention strategy. 83% of pipeline interns were placed into school administrator roles.
Principal Leadership Coach
Columbus City Schools
2020–2022
Coached and developed school leaders through an inquiry-based model focused on facilitation, capacity building, and curriculum development. Provided direct support to principals across the district on instructional leadership and professional growth.
Principal
Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls
2014–2020
Became the school's longest-serving principal, building Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls into one of the top 10 middle schools in Ohio. Earned the SOAR Award from Battelle for Kids and the Columbus Dispatch's Shining Star Distinction. Achieved the lowest out-of-school suspension rate of all CCS middle schools through restorative practices featured in the nationally recognized documentary PUSHOUT.
The D³ Framework
Leadership Through Change & Improvement
Discovery · Definition · Declaration
“You can’t lead others well from a place you don’t understand in yourself.”
01
Discovery
Leaders Assess Honestly
Diagnosis before direction.
- Audit culture, systems, and gaps before driving change
- Surface root causes, not symptoms
- Build clarity from evidence, not assumptions
Key Result
A clear-eyed baseline that anchors every decision forward
02
Definition
Leaders Align Intentionally
Vision without alignment is noise.
- Define the standard and communicate it with clarity
- Build shared ownership across every level
- Create conditions for people to perform at their best
Key Result
A unified direction with accountability structures that hold
03
Declaration
Leaders Execute Consistently
Commit publicly. Model daily. Hold the line.
- Lead through resistance without abandoning the standard
- Make decisions that reflect stated values — every time
- Sustain momentum by developing leaders at every level
Key Result
Measurable, sustainable improvement rooted in culture
Key Result
A clear-eyed baseline that anchors every decision forward
Key Result
A unified direction with accountability structures that hold
Key Result
Measurable, sustainable improvement rooted in culture
The Framework in Practice
Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls, 2014–2020
Assessed the unique developmental needs of young adolescent girls and diagnosed systemic factors behind out-of-school suspension disparities, the subject of her doctorate in Educational Leadership.
Defined the standard through developmentally responsive practices aligned with middle level education research — implementing advisory programs, interdisciplinary teaming, and social-emotional learning frameworks.
Held the line. The school achieved the lowest out-of-school suspension rate of all Columbus City Schools middle schools through restorative practices captured in the nationally recognized documentary PUSHOUT, and rose to recognition as a top 10 middle school in Ohio.
The D³ Framework is not linear. It is a living practice. You return to Discovery when you face new challenges. You refine your Definition as you grow. You recommit to Declaration every day you lead.
From the Field
“A great partnership to keep students in the game. Attendance Matters!”
Stay in the Game Initiative
Columbus City Schools partnered with the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Crew, and the State of Ohio to promote the "Stay in the Game!" pledge, encouraging students to be present, engaged, and productive at school.
Recognition & Media
SOAR Award
Battelle for Kids
Recognized for driving Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls to top 10 in Ohio
Shining Star
Columbus Dispatch
Columbus Dispatch distinction recognizing Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls
PUSHOUT Documentary
Nationally Recognized
Restorative practices at Columbus City Prep featured in the acclaimed documentary on the criminalization of Black girls in schools
Back-to-Back 4-Star
Ohio State Report Card
Only middle school in Columbus City Schools to earn consecutive 4-star ratings
Sister Accord Leadership Award
The Sister Accord Foundation
Recognized for leadership in empowering girls and women in education
Speaking & Engagements
National Alliance of Black School Educators
NABSE
Equity-centered leadership and empowering girls in schools
Association for Middle Level Education
AMLE
Leadership development in middle level education
Council of Great City Schools
Urban education leadership and district-level strategy
Children's Nationwide Hospital
Mental and behavioral health in school-age youth
PUSHOUT Film Documentary
Restorative practices and the criminalization of Black girls in schools
Otterbein University
EDU Jumpstart Career Event
Pathways into educational leadership
The Sister Accord Foundation
Sisterhood Leadership Award
Leadership in empowering girls and women in education
Education & Affiliations
Board Member, AMLE
Association for Middle Level Education · Former Board Chair
Ed.D., Educational Leadership
Concordia University, Chicago
AASA Urban Superintendent Academy
National program for aspiring superintendents
M.Ed., Educational Administration
Xavier University, Cincinnati
B.S., Social Studies Education
The Ohio State University
Superintendent Certification
The Ohio State University
“The Standard is the Standard, and every student deserves a leader willing to uphold it.”
Dr. Stephanie L. Patton