Joel D. Boyd, Ed.D. is a Harvard-trained educator whose career has spanned from the classroom to the principalship to the central administration of some of the nation’s largest school systems. In 2023, Dr. Boyd was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Mastery Schools, the largest charter school system in the Philadelphia region, serving more than 14,000 students and operating 24 schools across Philadelphia and Camden.

Previously, Dr. Boyd served as superintendent of Lowell Public Schools (Lowell, MA) and Santa Fe Public Schools (Santa Fe, NM), and served in key, district-level leaderships positions in Boston Public Schools (Boston, MA), the School District of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Miami, FL).

In 2006, Dr. Boyd was selected as one of just six educators nationally for a fellowship to complete his doctorate at Harvard University in the top-rated Urban Superintendents Program. Published in 2012, his dissertation research focuses on the career factors and pathways that lead to success in urban school district leadership. He also holds a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University, a Master’s degree in School Leadership from Wilmington College, and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Delaware.

Dr. Boyd resides in Plymouth Meeting with his wife, Keza, and their rescue dog, Abbey.