Public Education Leader David R. Schuler Named Executive Director Of AASA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org

Alexandria, Va. – Nov. 17, 2022 – AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is proud to announce that David R. Schuler has been selected by the organization’s executive committee as its new executive director, replacing Daniel A. Domenech, who will retire in February 2023. 

Schuler, the 2018 National Superintendent of the Year®, currently serves as superintendent of High School District 214 in Arlington Heights, Ill., where he and his team designed and implemented the District 214 Career Pathways program to provide students with an at-scale model for early college credit, industry credentials and work-based learning experiences before leaving high school. Under his leadership, the district established the Center for Career Discovery, which encompasses more than 1,000 industry partners and delivered approximately 2,500 work-based learning experiences during the 2021-2022 school year, as well as the non-profit District 214 Education Foundation that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Nearly 83% of the District 214 class of 2022 took a college-level course while in high school.

Earlier this year, District 214 was one of only 13 districts across the country to be named as an AASA Lighthouse Demonstration System, serving as models of positive change in public education. The selected designates are members of AASA’s Learning 2025 Network, a cadre of more than 120 demonstration systems representing forward-leaning, urban, suburban and rural school districts engaged in learning, networking and working together to help drive education policy and ultimately improve student learning. 

“David Schuler has a solid track record as a strategic innovator who is highly experienced, successful and well-regarded throughout the country,” said Shari L. Camhi, 2022-23 president of AASA and superintendent of the Baldwin Union Free (N.Y.) School District. “He is a future-driven leader and a champion for every child in our school systems, working diligently to carve out new paths for public education on behalf of the more than 50 million students in America. David has the qualities AASA members want in our next leader.”

Schuler served on AASA’s executive committee from 2011 to 2017 and was elected the 2015-16 president. He’s the architect of Redefining Ready!, an initiative administered by AASA that introduces research-based metrics to appropriately assess whether students are ready to pursue their lifelong goals and dreams following post-secondary education, and defines what it means for them to be college-, career- and life-ready. Since its launch in 2017, Redefining Ready! has rapidly become a mainstay in AASA’s growing stable of Leadership Network professional development programs that have mobilized thousands of superintendents and their respective teams in order to drive innovation, thought leadership, research and collaboration among school system leaders from coast to coast.

As we continue to reshape America’s public education agenda, I am honored and humbled to have been selected to lead AASA, an organization that has become the standard-bearer for strengthening school system leadership while celebrating and embracing the magnificent achievements occurring in our school communities on a day-in, day-out basis.

Schuler serves as a lead superintendent in AASA’s National Superintendent Certification Program®, an initiative designed for early career superintendents who desire to refresh and sharpen their skill sets and engage in world-class professional learning opportunities. He also serves as a lead superintendent in AASA’s Aspiring Superintendents Academy®, a highly interactive year-long program that equips participants with the real-life skills that a next-generation superintendent needs to thrive on the job and lead high-performing teams. 

“Being a superintendent represents an opportunity to ensure that no child in our country is marginalized. All of us in public education have the chance to inspire new dreams in the minds of our students to imagine the possibilities beyond high school graduation,” said Schuler. “As we continue to reshape America’s public education agenda, I am honored and humbled to have been selected to lead AASA, an organization that has become the standard-bearer for strengthening school system leadership while celebrating and embracing the magnificent achievements occurring in our school communities on a day-in, day-out basis.”

Schuler has served 22 years as a superintendent, 17 of them at High School District 214 – one of Illinois’ largest high school systems. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wis.

Schuler will join AASA on January 1, 2023, as executive director-designate, allowing time for crossover and an orderly transition.

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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.