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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2022Slidell Leader Named Regional Superintendent of the Year
(White Settlement, TX) Ms. Taylor Williams, superintendent of the Slidell ISD, has been named the Region 11 Superintendent of the Year for 2022. The Superintendent of the Year Award, sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards, honors outstanding Texas administrators for achievement and excellence in public school administration.
Candidates for the award must be nominated by their school boards and must demonstrate strong leadership skills, dedication to improving the quality of education in their districts, commitment to public support and involvement in education, and ability to build good employee relations among teachers and staff members. The award application highlights the following performance areas:
- Leadership, Management, and School Climate
- School Board-Superintendent Relations
- School Improvement and Instructional Leadership
- Fiscal Management
- School-Community Relations
In addition to addressing the specified performance areas in the application, school boards were asked to answer the question, “Why should your chief administrator be selected as Superintendent of the Year?”
Williams took the helm as superintendent in Slidell ISD in 2019, after having served for three years as a secondary school principal and three years as an elementary principal for the district. She earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and her master’s degree in educational leadership from Texas Woman’s University in Denton. In the nomination packet submitted by her school board, board members proudly affirm that Williams has “plans, skills, and drive to lead our little district to levels of excellence we believe exceed those of any other district in the state.”
As part of TASB’s award process, regional winners for the SOTY award must be selected by a panel of local school board members. This year’s panel included trustees from districts throughout the north central Texas (Region 11) area.
Rochelle Ross, a judge from the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, applauds Williams for her journey to the superintendency. “I love that she started as a substitute and worked her way up,” she shared. “She came into a new job, and within days was flooded with big issues. She has done so much to get her district in a great place. I love her Wellness Program. And they are growing!”
“What an impressive job she has done and is doing,” praised Steve Newcom, a judge from the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD.
As the Region 11 winner, Williams will move on to the state level of the competition. The state selection committee will interview all regional winners on August 26-27 and choose five finalists. The finalists will then be called to participate in a second interview by the state selection committee in September, and the state winner will be announced at the Texas Association of School Administrators/Texas Association of School Boards (TASA/TASB) joint annual convention on September 24, 2022.
The state winner of the Superintendent of the Year award receives a $5,000 professional development award and a ring, which will be presented at the 2022 TASA/TASB Joint Annual Convention. All other finalists will receive a $1,000 award. The award program is funded by Balfour and coordinated by TASB.
Texas is divided into 20 education service center regions. ESC Region 11 serves 76 traditional school districts and 75 charter schools in the north central Texas area.
For more information, contact:
Lori Burton, Chief Communications Officer
ESC Region 11
817-740-3690 or 817-235-4809 (cell)
lburton@esc11.net
