Byrd served as the 21st superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools district from March 25, 1985, until August 1, 1989.

[2] At only the age of 39, this made him one of the highest-ranked African American public sector educational leaders in the United States.

His family would later recount that he was told he had not been selected due to his lack of the Ph.D.[3] Byrd earned a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1978.

Love was hired as the district's superintendent, many African Americans, including prominent figures such as Jesse Jackson, were critical that the job had not instead been given to Byrd.

[8] He was fired because he was seen as resistant to the decentralization plan that the state of Illinois had passed to restructure the school district.

[9] After leaving Chicago Public Schools he worked in private practice as an educational consultant.

[2] Over the years Byrd sat on the boards of directors for the Chicago State University foundation, Joint Negro Appeal, Mid-America Chapter of the American Red Cross, Council of the Great City Schools, Chicago NAACP, and the United Church Board of World Ministries.