Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the highest-ranking Latina and Spanish-speaking leader in New York City Public Schools, will become the next chancellor of the nation’s largest district on Jan. 1 in the latest wave of superintendents on the move.
The current chancellor, David Banks, plans to retire later this year to make way for Aviles-Ramos, who now serves as New York City Public Schools’ deputy chancellor for family and community engagement and external affairs. Aviles-Ramos joined the district in 2007 as an English teacher and has since served as an assistant principal, principal, deputy superintendent, acting superintendent and education administrator.
She has created advisory councils and launched multiple community-based projects. “As a former teacher and a mom of a public-school student, I believe strongly in our work and in maintaining stability through this transition,” Aviles-Ramos said in a statement. “Under my leadership, we will continue to strengthen our supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners, improve our city’s literacy and math proficiency rates, help our older students forge pathways to a bright future, and keep our schools safe.”
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Matthew Gutierrez, former superintendent of Seguin Independent School District in Texas, has been named finalist to become the next superintendent of Del Valle ISD. Gutierrez is now deputy superintendent at Leander ISD and served formerly as an assistant superintendent in Plano ISD and an administrator at Little Elm ISD.
Interim superintendent Bethany A. Giles has been promoted to the permanent post at the Georgetown County School District in South Carolina. Giles has a long history with the district, having served previously as deputy superintendent of academics and student services for three years, executive director of secondary schools and athletics for two years and principal at two schools.
Caddo Parish Public Schools in Louisiana has promoted its chief academic officer, Keith Burton, to superintendent. Burton has served in several other roles in the district during his 30-plus years in education.
In New Mexico, Amy Suman has taken the helm as superintendent of the Pojoaque Valley School District. Suman most recently served as superintendent of the Laguna Department of Education, a tribal education system in New Mexico. And in Kentucky, Bryan Auxier has been hired as the next superintendent of Paintsville Independent Schools. Auxier has worked in the district for nearly 30 years.
Superintendents on the move: Retirements
- Rod Earleywine will retire from Sioux City Community Schools (Iowa) in June 2025.
- Scott Fisher will retire from the South Beloit School District (Illinois) at the end of the school year.
- Michelle Lee will retire from Ottawa Elementary School District 141 (Illinois) at the end of the school year.
- Thomas Turck will retire from the Homer Central School District (New York) at the end of the school year.
