Greenville Superintendent Selected as Finalist for the 2011 National Superintendent of the Year Program
January 5, 2011
The American Association of SchoolAdministrators (AASA) has announced four finalists in the 2011 NationalSuperintendent of the Year program. The program, co-sponsored by ARAMARK Education, ING and AASA and now in its 24th year, celebrates thecontributions and leadership of public school superintendents. AASA will announce the 2011 National Superintendent of the Year on February 17,2011, at the National Conference on Education in Denver, CO.
The four finalists for 2011 AASA National Superintendent of the Year are:
• Phinnize (Penny) J. Fisher, superintendent, Greenville County School System, South Carolina
• Mary Alice Heuschel, superintendent, Renton School District, Washington
• Marcus P. Johnson, superintendent, Sanger Unified School District, California
• Tom Trigg, superintendent, Blue Valley Unified School District, Kansas
“AASA is pleased to recognize these four outstanding superintendents,”said AASA Executive Director Daniel A. Domenech. “Their dedication totransforming schools, providing quality education for all students, andworking with the school community to advance student success representsthe best in school system leadership today.”
The Superintendent of the Year program honors the many dedicated andtalented leaders in education, and ARAMARK is proud to continue oursupport of the program, said Dennis Maple, president, ARAMARKEducation. ARAMARK strives to create a positive educational environment for K-12 students across the nation, as well as strengthen ourrelationships with the school districts we serve and their communities.We are pleased to honor school administrators who share the same goals.
“ING is proud to sponsor the National Superintendent of the Year program and extends our congratulations to the national finalists and all thestate winners,” said Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation. “Weare committed to education and honoring the superior leadership of ourpublic school superintendents for their efforts in advancing studentachievement and positively influencing our youth is one way we cansupport excellence in education.”
The four national finalists were chosen from 49 State Superintendent ofthe Year finalists. The finalists will be at the National Press Club inWashington, D.C., on Jan. 11, 2011, where they will be interviewed by anational blue-ribbon selection panel of educators, businesspeople andgovernment officials.
Fisher has been superintendent of the Greenville County School District, the largest school district in South Carolina, which serves 69,802students, since 2004. She previously served as an assistantsuperintendent and chief operating officer in the district. She earnedher bachelor’s degree from St. Paul’s College in Virginia and her andmaster’s and doctoral degrees from Rutgers, the State University of NewJersey.
Fisher is recognized for her vision and determination which led to theconstruction of 70 schools, the opening of the state’s first elementaryschool with a fully integrated engineering curriculum, studentsconsistently outperforming their national peers on high stake tests,meeting the needs of a very diverse student population by championingprograms such as virtual school and twilight school, and offering avariety of choice programs that provide opportunities for learningwhile recognizing the important role of extracurricular activities indeveloping an individual’s full potential.
Quote added to AASA release from Molly M. Spearman, executive director, South Carolina Association of School Administrators
“Dr. Fisher is the epitome of an outstanding superintendent and schoolleader who has continued to focus on student achievement and doingwhat’s right for children and young people even through very difficultfinancial times in our state and nation,” said Molly M. Spearman,executive director, South Carolina Association of SchoolAdministrators. “She has brought great honor to Greenville CountySchools, her school board, SCASA and the State of South Carolina andrepresents the high quality school district leadership across ourstate.”
