NICEVILLE, Fla. — The Okaloosa County School District has named a former Teacher of the Year as its new Director of Secondary Education, the district announced.
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Duscha Ross was recognized as the district’s Teacher of the Year in 2013 and now steps into the leadership role following approval at the March 23 School Board meeting.
Ms Ross began her career in education after 11 years of military service, during which she was deployed to locations including Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Russia.
She later transitioned into teaching in Northwest Florida, starting as a substitute teacher and working with at-risk students in alternative education programs, including Gulf Coast Youth Academy and the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program.
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Within traditional school settings, Ms Ross has served in a variety of roles across multiple grade levels and subject areas.
Her experience includes teaching math immersion and remediation at Pryor Middle School, serving as a teacher on special assignment and mentor at Crestview High School, and working in gifted and Project CHILD programs at Northwood Elementary and Mary Esther Elementary.
Ross also helped lead a 2010 one-to-one iPad pilot program, reflecting an early focus on integrating technology into the classroom.
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After being named Teacher of the Year, she went on to serve as the district’s instructional technology specialist through 2016.
Most recently, Ms Ross worked as Director of Reporting and Enterprise Resource Planning Services, where she coordinated information systems, programming services, and district departments during the implementation of the FOCUS ERP system.
Her academic background includes a bachelor’s degree and military commission from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Florida, and graduate studies at Harvard University in international relations and social policy.
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She is also part of the 2026 Chief Technology Officer training cohort with the COSN Technology Consortium.
According to the Okaloosa County School District, Ms Ross has consistently focused on supporting schools, educators, and families to benefit all learners throughout her career.
Her personal philosophy is guided in part by a quote from Gunnery Sgt. David K. Sibley, U.S. Marine Corps: “Every day, you wake up, and you go M.A.D. — Go make a difference.”
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