Meet our Superintendent | Dr. Pascal Mubenga

  • Dr Mubenga

    Phone: 919-560-3749
    Email: Pascal_Mubenga@dpsnc.net

    Luvenia Foster, Executive Assistant
    Email: Luvenia_Foster@dpsnc.net

    Since Dr. Pascal Mubenga was sworn in as superintendent of Durham Public Schools on November 27, 2017, student academic progress and school performance have both increased while the district has strengthened its commitment to equity, inclusion, and the socio-emotional health of the whole child. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Durham community took notice, with DPS’s enrollment growth in the 2019-2020 school year—by more than 500 students—for the first time in four years. Dr. Mubenga was honored by his peers in North Carolina as the North Central Regional Superintendent of the Year for 2020.

    The foundation for this work was laid with the establishment of a 2018-2023 Strategic Plan to transform DPS and “ignite the limitless potential” of its students. Dr. Mubenga worked with a large group of Durham educators, community stakeholders, students, and families to develop the plan based on a rigorous data review and an early listening and learning tour of Durham County. The plan is comprehensive with clear benchmarks, prioritizing academic achievement, attention to the needs of the whole child, teacher and employee recruitment and retention, community engagement, and fiscal and operational responsibility.

    Dr. Mubenga has enjoyed a successful career in public education spanning over 20 years in North Carolina. Prior to joining DPS, he served as Superintendent of Franklin County Schools. He also served as a District Transformation Coach, a School Transformation Team Lead, and School Transformation Coach with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for four years. Immediately preceding his work with NCDPI, he was the principal at Jones Senior High School in Jones County, North Carolina, from 2007 through 2011. Dr. Mubenga has also previously served as an assistant principal in Franklin County and math teacher in Johnston County. He was also a math teacher at Chewning Middle School in Durham for three years. He began his career in public education as a math teacher for the Nash-Rocky Mount Schools.

    Dr. Mubenga earned his Ph.D. from Capella University in 2007. He also holds a Master’s in Secondary Education from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Shaw University. He has also served as an adjunct professor and is the author of several peer-reviewed articles. He is a member of College Board's Superintendents Advisory Council, made up of approximately 30 superintendents across the country who share ideas and best practices about educational improvement.