AUSTIN The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) announced Monday that five public school superintendents have been selected as state finalists for the annual Superintendent of the Year (SOTY) award, a program that has been recognizing exemplary school leaders since 1984.
“Our goal with the Superintendent of the Year program is to honor the outstanding talent we have leading our Texas public schools,” said TASB Executive Director Dan Troxell in a press release. “Serving as a superintendent is one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs in the world, and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate these accomplished and committed leaders who do so much for our students.”
The five finalists were selected by a TASB committee made up of school board members who interviewed 19 regional nominees put forward by Education Service Centers (ESC) across the state. The candidates were evaluated on their work in improving student outcomes, developing a strong team-of-eight relationship, advocacy, and their ongoing commitment to innovation and leadership.
Kerrville ISD Trustee Rolinda Schmidt, who chaired the TASB selection committee, thanked all of the superintendents who participated in the interview process, which took place Aug. 25-26 in Austin.
“On behalf of the committee, we are grateful to all of the boards that submitted nominations on behalf of their superintendents and all of the work by the ESCs and their regional selection committees to put forward such outstanding regional finalists,” Schmidt said in the release. “It was extremely difficult to come up with a list of five finalists among such exceptional leaders, and we’re grateful to all of them for everything they do to advance educational excellence among Texas public schoolchildren.”
The five state finalists are:
- Martha Salazar-Zamora, Tomball ISD, Region 4
- Wade Stanford, Westwood ISD, Region 7
- Jim F. Chadwell, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, Region 11
- Sheri Blankenship, Hereford ISD, Region 16
- Joe Lopez, Kermit ISD, Region 18
Those named as state finalists will advance to the next stage of the Superintendent of the Year competition, which will take place at the Texas Association of School Administrators | TASB Convention being held Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Dallas. The winner will be announced Friday, Sept. 29, and will receive an award underwritten by program sponsor Balfour.
