Dr. Nikolai Vitti
Superintendent of Detroit Community Public Schools Community District
Erickson Distinguished Lecture in Education Policy
Keynote Speaker – Dr. Nikolai Vitti
Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District
DATE: April 17, 2019, 4:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Red Cedar Room – Kellogg Center, 219 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824
Please join us in welcoming prominent leader in education, Dr. Nikolai Vitti as the keynote speaker for the 2019 Erickson Distinguished Lecture in Education Policy. Parking will be available in the Kellogg Center parking structure and validations will be provided. Lecture will be followed by Q&A and light refreshments. Limited space is available, please RSVP to: EPICedpolicy@msu.edu
About Dr. Vitti:
Dr. Nikolai Vitti was appointed as Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District on May 23, 2017 on a five-year contract. In his first year Dr. Vitti worked closely with the Detroit Board of Education to implement a 100 day plan that culminated with the development of a new Strategic Plan that focuses on raising student achievement, transforming the district’s culture, improving staffing, developing the whole child, and ensuring financial responsibility. Since the creation of the new Strategic Plan, the district has maintained two balance budgets and a 10% reserve; implemented nationally recognized curriculum; established music, art, and physical education at all schools; deployed a one to one student to device ratio in all K-8 schools; developed a leadership pipeline; revised the Code of Conduct to emphasize a progressive discipline approach; and a Parent Academy to ensure more parents advocate for their children’s education.
Before arriving in Detroit, Dr. Vitti led Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), the 20th largest school district in the nation with approximately 130,000 enrolled students in 200 schools, and a fiscal budget of $1.7 billion. During his four and a half years at DCPS, the district ranked among the first to fourth highest performing urban districts in the nation on the National Assessment for Education Progress. In addition, the district’s graduation rates increased from 67 percent in 2012 to 78.8 percent in 2016, surpassing all Florida urban districts in African-American graduation rates. Under Dr. Vitti’s tenure, DCPS has been recognized for its expansion of the arts, foreign languages, innovative school programming, and mental health and progressive discipline strategies. Dr. Vitti also successfully secured more than $40 million in local philanthropy to transform the district’s historically lowest performing schools with a focus on human capital and technology infusion.
Dr. Vitti was previously chief academic officer of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, assistant superintendent for the Miami-Dade district and deputy chancellor at the Florida Department of Education. He also served children as a principal, dean of students, and teacher. He received a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in education from Wake Forest University. He also holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
