Austin ISD trustees named Dr. Anthony Mays as interim superintendent at a meeting early June 14.
The decision follows the announcement of Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde’s resignation last month to lead Dallas ISD. Mays is the first Black man to hold the superintendent position in AISD. He currently serves as the district’s chief of school leadership, overseeing the associate superintendents of secondary schools and elementary schools and the assistant superintendent for student support services, according to AISD’s website. He also has over 20 years of experience in public education as a classroom teacher, principal and administrator across several districts, including Dallas ISD, Fort Worth ISD and the Harris County Department of Education.
Over 80 members of the public called in to the meeting to provide feedback on the search for the interim superintendent. Several expressed frustration with the board’s selection process, citing a lack of publicly named candidates and unclear selection criteria.
“In searching for the interim and permanent superintendent, I would ask for several things. First of all, transparency. Redaction of candidate names and resumes is acceptable, but our criteria, needs and evaluation should be totally transparent,” said Nicole Fagerberg, an AISD parent.
The board discussed candidates for interim superintendent in closed session during last week’s meeting, which is allowed under the Texas Open Meetings Act, board President Geronimo Rodriguez said. Trustees reviewed all applicants for the position but only interviewed one, according to a June 14 statement.
Many callers— including several members of Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically African American fraternity from Mays’ alma mater, Huston-Tillotson University—voiced their support of Mays, citing the district’s need for stability after two years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Others recommended the appointment of David Kauffman, AISD’s former executive director of multilingual education, who announced his candidacy for interim superintendent on Twitter earlier this month. After more than six hours in closed session, the AISD board approved
Mays as interim superintendent with a 7-0 vote. Trustees Arati Singh and Lynn Boswell abstained. Mays will take over Elizalde’s position July 1.
Trustees will continue seeking community feedback in their search for Elizalde’s permanent replacement. A request for proposals for a new superintendent will be posted in January 2023, and a candidate will be selected and hired by summer 2023.
"I got to Austin with very little college knowledge, and now I sit before you as the interim superintendent—the first black male in Austin ISD—and I'm thankful," Mays said at the June 14 meeting. "I look forward to supporting academic excellence and an excellent work environment for our faculty and staff here in the [20]22-23 school year."
