Dr. Chuck Herring is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the South Fayette Township School District, McDonald, PA.
For over three decades, Dr. Herring has been an innovative leader in education. In the South Fayette Township School District, he creates an environment where all students can thrive.
Dr. Herring's approach focuses on supporting students through both celebrations and challenges. He has pioneered creative educational approaches throughout his career. Additionally, he trains colleagues in effective practices and implements supportive measures to mitigate school-based stress.
In 1999, after being asked to be the keynote speaker for Princeton University’s first-ever, Hip-Hop in Education Conference, Dr. Herring left K-12 education to become a professional speaker and trainer. During that time, he traveled the country to speak for organizations such as Kroger, Giant Eagle, the State of Arizona, the State of New Jersey, and many others. Additionally, Dr. Herring created two educational programs, "Black History is Not Just a Month" and "The Mathematics Magician." He is also the creator of Grammar Man®, the world's first Hip-Hop superhero, making language arts engaging and accessible. His work earned him recognition as one of the State of Black Learning's Educators of the Year in 2021.
Upon returning to the classroom in 2012 as a faculty member in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education’s Falk Laboratory School, Dr. Herring taught Kindergarten, mentored future teachers, acquired his Reading Specialist Certification, and began work on his Doctorate in Language, Literacy, and Culture. In August 2015, Dr. Herring began working at South Fayette as the K-5 Gifted/Enrichment Coordinator. In that role, he was tasked with transforming the program from a more traditional Gifted/Enrichment model to one that was primarily project-based. He began his current role with the district in 2020.
As one of the founders of SHOUT (Social Handprints Overcoming Unjust Treatment) at South Fayette High School, Dr. Herring guides students across Western Pennsylvania in creating positive school environments. This student-led organization has grown into a regional movement under his leadership culminating in an annual event called the Uncommon Conference.
Dr. Herring's leadership earned him the 2021 Innovative School Leader Award from the Pennsylvania School Board Association. In 2022, he participated in a Trans-Atlantic dialogue with the American Council on Germany, focusing on educational policy development. He has been named one of Penn West Edinboro University's 2024 Distinguished Alumni, one of Black Leaders Worldwide's 2024 Doctors of Excellence honorees, and received a Jefferson Service Award from Multiplying Good in 2024. These honors reflect Dr. Herring's standing as an internationally respected educator. He is also the author of a memoir in essays titled, YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO CONTAIN ME: It’s Impossible to Stop a Person Who Won’t Quit.
Phone: 412-221-4542 x 572