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Joe Espinoza, School Improvement Officer (Area Superintendent) in Houston ISD, participated in a public forum on July 11 at the District Service Center as part of the superintendent search process in Socorro ISD. | Michael Sorum, the Deputy Superintendent in Fort Worth ISD, participated in a public forum on July 10 at the District Service Center as part of the superintendent search process in Socorro ISD. |
The Socorro ISD Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting for Saturday, August 4, 2012 to discuss the selection of a finalist for the vacant superintendent position. The meeting will be at 9 a.m. in the District Service Center Board Room, 12440 Rojas Dr.
The position was posted nationally in the spring and drew 83 applicants. Three were introduced to the community and participated in a series of forums designed to allow stakeholders to meet the candidates and provide feedback to the Board for consideration in its final selection. Hundreds of students, parents, employees and community partners participated and shared their impression of the candidates with the Board. The Board formally interviewed the individual candidates to conclude each day.
This week, two candidates are continuing in the final stages of the process and will be visited by a committee of SISD Board members. The purpose of the visits is for the Board committee to meet first-hand with stakeholder groups who work closely with the candidates.
“We are looking forward to personally seeing what their reality entails and how they interact with others in a real-life setting,” Najera said. “This will reveal a great deal about the candidates and help us determine if they are a good fit for the District.”
Today, the Board committee is visiting Houston ISD to learn more about candidate Dr. Joe Espinoza, currently a School Improvement Officer (Area Superintendent) in the District. He has 16 years of experience ranging from teacher to counselor, assistant principal, principal and district administrator. He earned a doctorate of educational leadership from Sam Houston State University, and a master’s in counseling and guidance as well as a bachelor’s degree in social work.
The team will travel to Fort Worth ISD tomorrow, August 2 to visit with candidate Michael Sorum, currently the district’s Deputy Superintendent. He began his career in education in 1986 and has held positions as a teacher, instructional guide, university professor, director of accountability, and chief academic officer. He earned a master’s in education administration from Harvard University, a master of arts in education from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a bachelor of arts from Portland State University, Oregon.
The Board committee will share its findings with the other trustees during Saturday’s meeting and discuss the full Board’s discoveries over the course of the process, including the candidates’ background information, interview performance, engagement with the SISD community, public feedback, and site visits. The Board may take action in naming a sole finalist for superintendent, or may decide to continue the process during the August 4 meeting.
“We are committed to taking the time and steps necessary to ensure the candidate selected is the best fit for Socorro ISD,” said Board President Michael Najera. “We do not feel the need to rush with such an important decision. I am confident that, under the guidance of our current leadership team, the District will kick-off another successful school year as we work to select the best candidate.”
The candidate selected will replace Dr. Xavier De La Torre, who recently left the District after accepting a position as the new County Superintendent of Schools in San Jose, CA
Agenda for Aug 4, 2012 special
