About Charles Foust
Charles Foust is an Executive Leadership Coach at Leadership Plus with over 20 years of experience in public education. He has held senior leadership roles across multiple large school districts, including Superintendent of New Hanover County Schools in North Carolina and Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, Chief School Performance Officer for Union County Public Schools, and School Support Officer in Houston ISD.
During his tenure as Superintendent of New Hanover County Schools from September 2020 to July 2024, Foust states that the district increased academic proficiency from 50% to 61.1%, placing the district in the top 10 academically proficient districts in the state of North Carolina. He led a district of more than 24,000 students and managed budgets of up to $600 million.
As Superintendent of Kansas City Kansas Public Schools from August 2018 to August 2020, Foust reports that several schools achieved double digit growth in one year, moving the district from one of the lowest performing school districts in Kansas. Prior to that role, he served as Chief School Performance Officer for Union County Public Schools and School Support Officer for Houston ISD, where he states he coached leaders across more than 50 schools.
Foust’s career began in North Carolina, where he served as Principal at Brooks Global Studies and Fondren Middle School. He has built a focus on educational equity, district turnaround, academic achievement, literacy programs, and teacher retention throughout his career. He currently works as an Executive Leadership Coach, supporting school and district leaders in delivering measurable outcomes. Foust is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Career Background
Leadership Plus
New Hanover County Schools
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
Union County Public Schools
Houston ISD
Fondren Middle School
Brooks Global Studies
Education
Wake Forest University
University of Houston
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Media
Press
Charles Foust is an Executive Coach and former Superintendent of New Hanover County Schools and the Southeastern Superintendent of the Year 2024-2025. Under Charles’ leadership, NHCS moved from 50% proficient to 61.1% proficient, placing the school district in the top 10 academically proficient districts in the state of NC.
With more than 20 years in public education, Foust has built a reputation as a leader who steps into complex systems and delivers measurable change. Today, as an Executive Leadership Coach, he continues to shape how school leaders think, act, and perform.
Charles Foust, a seasoned education leader and former superintendent, is advocating for a stronger investment in developing school and district leaders as a pathway to improving outcomes for students. During his tenure as Superintendent of New Hanover County Schools in North Carolina, Foust led measurable improvements in student achievement, increasing academic proficiency from 50 percent to 61.1 percent.
Charles Foust is an Executive Leadership Coach and former superintendent with more than 20 years of experience in public education. He has built a career leading large school systems and delivering measurable academic results. Foust went on to serve as Superintendent in both Kansas City Kansas Public Schools and New Hanover County Schools in North Carolina, where he led systems serving more than 24,000 students.
Charles Foust has spent over two decades proving what it takes to turn strategy into meaningful, system-wide impact. Over more than 20 years in public education, Foust has built a career on turning strategy into outcomes, leading large school districts, managing complex systems, and helping move underperforming schools into stronger positions.
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience leading major school districts, Foust points to leadership clarity and system discipline as the defining factors that will separate progress from stagnation. He believes that scattered priorities often lead to inconsistent execution, and that leaders will be asked to deliver better results with fewer resources in the coming year.
Awards & Recognition
- Southwest Superintendent of the Year 2024-25 Champion for Change
- Southeastern Superintendent of the Year 2024-2025
- Lifetime Achievement Award, National Black Leadership Caucus-Southeastern Region, February 2026
Boards & Memberships
- Alpha Phi Alpha
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