The rapid pace of K12 superintendent hiring is continuing at full tilt into the new year.
One of the biggest systems to select a new leader this month is Yonkers Public Schools, the district on New York City’s northern border. Anibal Soler, who has been the superintendent of Schenectady City Schools since 2021, will take the helm from interim superintendent Luís Rodríguez on May 1.
Soler was previously an associate superintendent of strategic alignment and innovation for Buffalo Public Schools and a high school principal in the Rochester City School District. “My primary focus will be on continuing to elevate our district, assuring that every student is provided with an exceptional education that equips them for success,” Soler said in a statement. “Together, we will build on our strengths, embrace innovative approaches, and ensure that our district becomes a beacon of educational excellence.”
Several first-time superintendents
Among the administrators getting their first shot at the superintendency is Sharon Williams, who will become the first female superintendent of Rock Island-Milan School District #41 in Illinois.
Williams, who has more than two decades of experience in education, was most recently the deputy superintendent of the Proviso Township High School District near Chicago. She has also served as a teacher, principal, executive director, project director, executive coach, chief academic officer and chief of schools during her K12 career.
Read more: What the data says about superintendent turnover in 2023-24
Morgen A. Houchard will move into the lead role at Gaston County Schools in North Carolina on Feb. 19. He is now the district’s executive director for auxiliary services and has previously served as an assistant superintendent for Mitchell County Schools.
Temple Public Schools in Oklahoma has promoted its high school principal, Erica Hill, to superintendent. Georgia’s Colquitt County Schools has made the same move, elevating its high school principal, Dan Chappuis, to superintendent. And in Massachusetts, Melissa Spash has been chosen to lead Natick Public Schools, according to MetroWest Daily News. Spash is currently the deputy superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools.
