Updated 10:30 a.m. Feb. 20
The School Superintendent's Association named Joe Gothard, superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the 2024 National Superintendent of the Year, according to a Feb. 16 news release from the association.
Posted 9:15 a.m. Dec. 20
Tomball ISD Superintendent Martha Salazar-Zamora has been named one of four finalists for 2024 National Superintendent of the Year, an award given out by AASA, The School Superintendent’s Association, according to a Dec. 18 news release.
“I’m incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized by AASA as a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year,” Salazar-Zamora said via news release.
Salazar-Zamora was nominated to be a finalist in November, Community Impact previously reported.
Zooming out
According to the news release, Salazar-Zamora is joined by fellow finalists:
- Joe Gothard, Saint Paul Public Schools, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Kimberly Rizzo Saunders, Contoocook Valley School District, Peterborough, New Hampshire
- Fredrick Williams, Dublin City Schools, Dublin, Georgia
This latest recognition comes after Salazar-Zamora was named Region 4 Superintendent of the Year and Texas Superintendent of the Year.
The backstory
Salazar-Zamora has served as TISD’s superintendent since 2017 and has worked in education for more than 36 years, Community Impact previously reported. Before her time as TISD superintendent, Salazar-Zamora served three years as the district's chief academic officer.
In 2024-25, Salazar-Zamora will lead the Texas Association of School Administrators as the president, and she is serving as president-elect, according to the news release.
What they’re saying
- “It is no surprise that Dr. Salazar-Zamora has been named a finalist for AASA National Superintendent of the Year,” said Dr. Kevin Brown, Texas Association of School Administrators Executive Director, via news release. “I have known Martha for about 15 years and have seen firsthand what a remarkable servant-leader she is.”
- “It is an honor to congratulate these four innovative and future-driven superintendents who are setting the bar for what high-quality leadership is all about,” AASA Executive Director David R. Schuler said via news release. “Our honorees took their respective school districts and their entire school communities to higher heights of excellence. They are prime examples of what it means to be a superintendent in today’s post-COVID world.”
Stay tuned
The 2024 National Superintendent of the Year will be announced during AASA’s conference Feb. 15, according to the news release.
