Superintendent's Entry Plan
Comprehensive Plan
Biography
A driven and engaged educator with 23 years of experience, Dr. Anthony Vladu is committed to preparing all students for productive citizenship, jobs, careers, post-secondary education, and service in our country's Armed Forces. Dr. Vladu signed up for service in the United States Army during high school under the Delayed Entry Program. In the Army, he served in the 82nd Airborne Division during the First Gulf War. Later, he served as a Green Beret with the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group.
After serving our country, Dr. Vladu started his career in education as a 9th-grade world geography and world history teacher at Heritage High School. He mentored and supported new teachers in this role while increasing student achievement. In 2008, he became assistant principal at York High School, responsible for school crisis management, school safety, instruction, and special education.
In 2012, Dr. Vladu became the principal at Denbigh High School. As a principal, he increased school safety by addressing attendance and discipline in close collaboration with students, teachers, parents, and the Denbigh community. Under his leadership, math proficiency rates increased significantly, and the school became fully accredited in less than three years. Further, Advanced Placement course enrollment more than doubled while graduation rates increased for all students.
From 2015-2019, Dr. Vladu served as the director of secondary instruction with the York County School Division, supervising and evaluating the division's four middle and five high schools. During his tenure, he led the implementation of professional learning communities at the secondary level, which provided the processes that increased reading, writing, and graduation rates. He is an ardent supporter of career readiness and involved the York business community in starting the process that provides high school students internships, mentorships, and fellowships. The collaboration between the York business community and the department of instruction continues today. He also believes that high school students should have access to college-level work, and under his leadership, Advanced Placement course enrollment increased to unprecedented levels.
In June 2019, Dr. Vladu was promoted to the Chief Human Resources Officer position. Working in collaboration with division leadership, he expanded the role of parents, students, and community members in the principal hiring process. During his tenure as the CHRO, the division has been recognized as one of Virginia's best places to teach. Dr. Vladu led the adoption of a new comprehensive HR management system to improve the division's recruitment and retention practices. He established multiple processes to support teaching vacancies, including improving substitute pay, substitutes fill rates, and a plan to allow retirees to contribute to classroom staffing.
"The Gloucester School Board has selected an outstanding leader for their schools," said Dr. Victor Shandor, YCSD Superintendent. "Tony's contributions to our work here in YCSD have helped create working and learning conditions that allow our students and teachers to excel. We will miss Tony but know his student-centered leadership will continue to benefit students in our region."
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies from Binghamton University. He also earned a Master's and a Doctorate in Education Planning, Policy, and Leadership from the College of William and Mary. From 2011 to 2018, Dr. Vladu served as a School-University Research Network mentor with the College of William and Mary, where he mentored dozens of Virginia principals to maximize student achievement.
With his wife Leslie, they raised two daughters in the York County School Division. In his spare time, he likes to rebuild trucks, build boats, and enjoy time with his family on the water.