Mark Edwards

Source: AASA Convention Reporter, Jay Goldman, AASA Editor, and Kitty Porterfield, AASA

 

Mark A. Edwards, superintendent of Mooresville (N.C.) Graded School District (and President of the Horace Mann

League of the USA), has been named the 2013 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. 

 

Edwards was honored today at the opening ceremony of the American Association of School Administrators' National Conference on Education in Los Angeles. Now in its 26th year, the National Superintendent of the Year program, co-sponsored by AASA, ARAMARK Education and VALIC, celebrates the contributions and leadership of public school superintendents.

In announcing the selection, Daniel Domenech, AASA executive director had high praise for Edwards.  "Mark Edwards is exactly the kind of superintendent we need to carry public education deep into the 21st century. He gets it. He has combined the savvy to lead a digital revolution in his schools with the wisdom to know that teachers teach their best and children learn their best in an environment that promotes mutual caring and respect.

"In his five years in Mooresville, Mark has taken a district that ranks 100 out of 115 in North Carolina in per pupil funding and led it to be a district that ranks 3rd in graduation rate and 2nd in academic composite. Along the way, he has engaged every corner of his community-parents, higher education, the business community-to support the changes. Mark has a clear vision and the commitment to make it happen."

In 2007, when Edwards came to Mooresville-a district of 8 schools, 40 percent of whose children receive free or reduced-price lunch-his vision for preparing students for life in the 21st century included a laptop for every child in grades 4 through 12 for their 24/7 use and providing laptops at school for the children in grades K-3. He understood too that in order to sustain the changes he proposed and for the technology to be used effectively, the district also needed to institute comprehensive professional development opportunities for its teachers.

* Enlisted the Chamber of Commerce, the town, a foundation and a local church to create a summer STEM program.

As a result, since 2007, MGSD's academic achievement for students testing proficient or advanced on state end-of-grade tests has increased by 16 percentage points from 73 percent to 89 percent. The 4-year cohort graduation rate has improved by 13 percentage points, with 90 percent of seniors graduating. The college-going rate has increased from 74 to 88 percent. Edwards has become a sought-after speaker and leader. Said the executive director of Digital Promise, Edwards "has built perhaps the best model for driving student results with technology that a traditional public school district can replicate."

Edwards holds a Ph.D. in education from Vanderbilt University, a M.Ed. in administration and supervision from Tennessee Technical University, and a B.S. in education from the University of Tennessee. Before coming to Mooresville, Edwards served as dean for the University of Northern Alabama's School of Education, superintendent of Henrico Public Schools (VA) and superintendent of Danville Public Schools (VA). Edwards has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2001 Virginia State Superintendent of the Year, a 2002 Tech Savvy Superintendent by eSchool News, and the Community Leader Award from the Mooresville NAACP. Edwards has briefed Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on digital conversion and was asked to help launch Digital Promise at the White House. The district has been recognized in a PBS documentary and a February 2012 article in the New York Times.

* Community involvement - active participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional, national and international issues.

More information on the Superintendent of the Year program and a list of the 49 state-level award winners can be found athttp://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=26406

 Source: http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=27088