Barbara Sizemore

Barbara Ann Sizemore (December 17, 1927 – July 24, 2004) was an American teacher and researcher in the field of education. In 1973, she became the first African American woman to head the public school system in a major city, when she was elected superintendent of District of Columbia Public Schools.

Early life and education Barbara Ann Sizemore was born to Sylvester and Delila Lafoon in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Terre Haute, Indiana. She attended segregated elementary and middle schools Sizemore's first book, a version of her doctoral thesis titled The Ruptured Diamond: The Politics of the Decentralization of the District of Columbia Public Schools, was published in 1981. Her second book, Walking in Circles: The Black Struggle for School Reform was published posthumously in 2008.

Awards and honors Sizemore served as Professor Emerita at DePaul University, and a scholar in residence at the National Alliance of Black School Educators from the 1970s until her death. She was the recipient of four honorary doctorates and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, the Urban League, NAACP, and Phi Delta Kappa. The School of Education at Duquesne University named the Barbara A. Sizemore Distinguished Professorship in Urban Education in her honor.