Educators, Graduate Students Recognized for Completing AASA Urban Superintendents Academy Programs at National Conference on Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
James Minichello
703-875-0723
703-774-6953 (cell)
jminichello@aasa.org

Alexandria, Va. – Feb. 18, 2021 – With the ongoing commitment to increase the number of effective school district leaders in America’s urban communities, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased to announce the names of the outstanding educators who completed the organization’s Urban Superintendents Academy programs. The announcement was made at the organization’s 2021 virtual National Conference on Education. 

AASA has launched distinct partnerships with Howard University and the University of Southern California to bolster the effectiveness of school district leadership in our nation’s urban areas.
The academy offers a dynamic approach to urban superintendent preparation and certification.

“The outstanding men and women we are honoring are not looking for the status quo. They will be among the next generation of superintendents with thorough and visionary ideas designed for the benefit of school children in our urban settings,” said Daniel A. Domenech, AASA executive director. “We created this program with our partners at Howard University and USC to provide a platform for our sitting and aspiring superintendents in these areas to step up, take action and become advocates for the children whose families are not receiving the opportunities they deserve.”

The Urban Superintendents Academy is recognized as one of the premier programs in the country. Drawing on strengths of its members and partners, AASA brings the most effective and inspiring thought leader practitioners to serve as instructors, mentors and presenters. 

The AASA/Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy 2021 cohort graduates are:
• Tianna Adams, manager of specialized instruction, District of Columbia Public Schools, Washington, D.C.
• Zakiyyah Ali, founder, consultant, Zakiyyah Ali Educational Consulting, Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Melody Andrews, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Seidah Armstrong, vice president, Performance Management Services, Washington, D.C.
• Pamela B. Bell, executive director, student advancement, Petersburg City Public Schools, Petersburg, Va.
• Camille Bell-Jones, director, Howard County Public School System, Ellicott City, Md.
• Charles Bolton, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Marceline Catlett, superintendent, Fredericksburg City Public Schools, Fredericksburg, Va.
• Ketrina N. Childs, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Kimberly E. Contreras, assistant principal, The High School for Math, Science and Engineering, New York, N.Y.
• Tylah D. Davies, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Lisa Davis-Patterson, dean of culture, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Detroit, Mich.
• Taylor Diggs, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• George E. Fitch, Jr., supervisor of student services, School District of the City of York, York, Pa.
• Ingrid G. Grant, chief of school leadership, Henrico County Public Schools, Henrico, Va.
• Lisa G. High, chief of schools, Chesterfield County Public Schools, Chesterfield, Va.
• Gregory Holden, educational associate, Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore, Md.
• Eric F. Irizarry, principal and CTE director, Charlottesville City Schools, Charlottesville, Va.
• Jasmine Johnson, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Tryvan Leech, Sr., CEO, TLT Educational Consulting and Grant Programs, Ohio
• Sean Miller, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Clint M. Mitchell, principal, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, Va.
• Dezoray Moore, assistant principal, Willingboro Public Schools, Willingboro, N.J.
• Alvin D. Pressley, director, secondary education, District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties, Irmo, S.C.
• Telisa S. Reed, director, assessment, Kent School District, Kent, Wash.
• Royce Sarpy, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Yvonne Stokes, assistant superintendent, School Town of Munster, Munster, Ind.
• John S. Stover, III, instructional superintendent, District of Columbia Public Schools, Washington, D.C.
• Courtney Wilkerson, doctoral student, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Fabby T. Williams, school support officer, Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, N.C.
• Sharon Williams, chief academic officer, Holmes County Consolidated School District, Lexington, Miss.   

 The AASA/USC Urban Superintendents Academy® 2021 cohort graduates are:
• Erica Balakian, superintendent, Lemon Grove School District, Lemon Grove, Calif.
• Kristina Bellamy, director, teaching and learning, Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska
• Shawn Bird, chief of schools, Portland Public Schools, Portland, Ore.
• Carrie A. Buck, executive director, Pinecrest Academy of Nevada, Henderson, Nev.
• Sabrina Claude McGahee, superintendent, Old Redford Academy School District, Detroit, Mich.
• Charles E. Coleman, Jr., principal, Lancaster School District, Lancaster, Calif.
• Suzanne Devitt, administrator, early childhood education/school readiness program, Stockton Unified School District, Stockton, Calif.
• Gregory J. Fromm, chief business officer, Lynwood Unified School District, Lynwood, Calif.
• Carmen García, superintendent, San Marcos Unified School District, San Marcos, Calif.
• Crystal Harden-Lindsey, chief executive director, Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore, Md.
• Shon Hocker, superintendent, Dickinson Public Schools, Dickenson, N.D.
• Quiandine Jarrett, grant administrator, Houston Independent School District, Houston, Texas
• Elizabeth Kaufman, associate superintendent, educational services, Sonoma Valley Unified School District, Sonoma, Calif.
• Sylvia Kaufman, assistant superintendent, Fullerton Joint Union High School District, Fullerton, Calif.
• Tom McCoy, superintendent, Oxnard Union High School District, Oxnard, Calif.
• Jeremy S. Owoh, deputy superintendent, academics and school leadership, Little Rock School District, Little Rock, Ark.
• Shawna Petit-Dinkins, assistant superintendent, educational services, Lynwood Unified School District, Lynwood, Calif.
• Sean Precious, regional instructional superintendent, Denver Public Schools, Denver, Colo.
• Ramiro Rubalcaba, assistant superintendent, human resources, Victor Valley Union High School District, Victorville, Calif.
• Dustin Seemann, assistant superintendent,education services, Beverly Hills Unified School District, Beverly Hills, Calif.
• Dan Sims, associate superintendent of schools, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, Ga.
• Jeff Thake, superintendent, Williston Public School District #1, Williston, N.D.
• Shandelyn Williams, assistant superintendent, student support, Antelope Valley Union High School District, Lancaster, Calif. 

For more information about AASA’s Urban Superintendents Academy, contact Mort Sherman, AASA associate executive director, Leadership Network, at msherman@aasa.org.

The National Conference on Education routinely convenes the most prominent education thought leaders addressing the most pressing issues in the education landscape. The ongoing challenges brought on by the public health crisis escalates the importance of a national conference where the leaders of our nation’s public school districts are attending.

For more information about the conference, access AASA’s Conference Daily Online.

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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.