DeVonté Payton

DeVonté Payton

2019 NACSA Leader

Advisor, School Development Shelby County Schools

DeVonté Payton is the School Development Advisor for Shelby County School’s Office of Charter Schools. He leads the charter authorization, interim, and renewal evaluation processes for the district’s portfolio of 57 charter schools. Previously, he served as the Director of External Affairs for KIPP Memphis, managing external partnerships, brand management support, and student enrollment.

DeVonté earned his B.B.A in Marketing Management from the University of Memphis and has over ten years of experience working in education. As an education advocate, he has worked closely with schools to develop and implement strategic plans for community engagement, recruitment & retention of talent and students, and high school/college placement.

His wife, Alyssa, is an assistant principal. They have three children – Dylan, Alyson, and Alaina.


Most Recent Posts
Beyond the Mold: Equipping Authorizers to Evaluate Innovative Schools
By David Greenberg and Jason Zwara Raising the Bar on Accountability Last year, we made several important updates to our state policy recommendations. These changes were critical to accountability in...
Read More
NACSA Statement on Rhode Island Charter School Moratorium
NACSA is calling on Governor McKee to protect both families’ access to high-quality public schools. and the integrity of Rhode Island’s charter school system by vetoing legislation that would impose...
Read More
NACSA Supports Three Federal Bills to Modernize CSP and Help Strengthen Authorizing
The U.S. Department of Education’s Charter Schools Program (CSP) has supported the growth of the charter school sector for more than 30 years. Despite significant changes in the charter sector—especially...
Read More