New Principal Introduction Letter

July 13, 2026

Dear DuVal High School Community,

It is with great excitement and pride that I write to introduce your new Principal, Ms. Lakeishia Strother, who will lead DuVal High School into its next chapter of academic and cultural excellence. Ms. Strother brings over nineteen years of visionary, equity-driven educational leadership, outstanding strategic insights, and an unwavering commitment to student success.

Ms. Strother transitions to DuVal from Kettering Middle School, where she has served as Principal since 2022. During her highly successful tenure at Kettering, she achieved exemplary results, including:

• Successfully increased the Maryland School Report Card rating from 2 to 3 stars and achieved significant math and reading proficiency gains.
• Cultivated a restorative environment that reduced suspension rates by 30% and total discipline incidents by over 50%.
• Systematically reduced chronic absenteeism from 20% to 8% in just a single academic year.
• Achieved absolute full staffing across consecutive school years through strategic hiring and retention aligned with national best practices.

Ms. Strother's extensive background in middle school administration and her former service as the PGCPS District Master Scheduler for Middle Schools represent a unique and powerful asset for DuVal. Her deep understanding of early adolescent development equips her to design the robust, supportive structures necessary to target and elevate ninth-grade achievement to ensure incoming freshmen experience a seamless, supportive transition that translates into long-term credit accumulation and graduation success.

Those who work with Ms. Strother know her as a highly collaborative leader with a gift for uniting the school community around its unique needs. Rooted in her early foundation as a Professional School Counselor and Science/Social Studies teacher, Ms. Strother leads with a balance of deep empathy, structured accountability, and a powerful personal passion.

Please join me in extending a warm Tiger welcome to Ms. Lakeishia Strother. In the coming weeks, we will share details regarding opportunities for students, families, and staff to meet and collaborate with her as we prepare for a phenomenal school year.

Sincerely,
Ed Ryans, Ed.D.
Area 3 Associate Superintendent
High Schools and Non-Traditional Programs