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Dr. Vasanne S. Tinsley

Interim Superintendent, DeKalb County School District 

Dr. Vasanne S. Tinsley serves as interim superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, managing the day-to-day operations of a diverse educational system with more than 94,000 students, 14,500 employees and a budget of $2.6 billion.

“Keeping Students First” is at the heart of her district leadership, and major decisions are measured by their ability to improve educational outcomes for one of the most diverse student bodies in the United States.

After a 25+-year career in education and following her retirement in 2020, Dr. Tinsley was asked to return to DCSD as interim superintendent in April 2022. Dr. Tinsley served as Deputy Superintendent of Student Support and Intervention, overseeing student support services, athletics, student relations, school choice options, English learners, post-secondary transition, public safety and community/family engagement.

She previously served as Director of Student Support and worked closely with students, parents, faculty, and staff in school counseling, social work, psychology, student health and after-school programming. As Assistant Director of Guidance, Counseling, and Mentoring, Dr. Tinsley supported nearly 400 school counselors and graduation coaches with strategic intervention and programming to increase DeKalb students’ academic, personal, social and emotional capacity.

Dr. Tinsley’s invaluable experience as a respected school counselor and administrator has earned her admiration as a tireless advocate for schools, students, educators, staff and community partners.

Throughout her career, Dr. Tinsley has demonstrated a strong commitment to the communities she serves. She is deeply involved in community-based early childhood education, serving on the Board of Directors for Quality Care for Children and as a community representative on the Georgia Department of Early Childhood Head Start Policy Council. She has worked as a member of the DeKalb Board of Health, United Way of DeKalb, and Communities in Schools in Atlanta.

Her commitment to lifelong education is demonstrated by serving as an adjunct instructor and in an advisory capacity with several institutions of higher education. She also volunteers to support students in the undergraduate setting as a mentor.

An Atlanta native, Dr. Tinsley earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Spelman College, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Clark Atlanta University. She is a member of the National Association of Black School Educators and a graduate of Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2019.