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Feb. 21, 2018
Dr. Suritsky honored with national leadership award
Dr. Sharon Suritsky, assistant/deputy superintendent for the Upper St. Clair School District, has been named a 2018 AASA Women in School Leadership Award honoree in the Central Office/Principal category.
Dr. Suritsky, along with two other honorees, were recognized on Feb. 16, 2018, during the organization’s 2018 National Conference on Education, in Nashville, Tenn. The award, sponsored by Horace Mann and AASA, pays tribute to the talent, creativity and vision of outstanding women educational administrators in the nation’s public schools.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the talented women educators we are honoring at our National Conference on Education,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “We hope that this program serves as a catalyst in public education that will lead to more women securing administrative positions as we help to grow their leadership skills and advance their careers.”
The awards continue a longstanding tradition of AASA honoring exceptional female superintendents, district level administrators and principals whose talent, creativity and vision are exemplary. Candidates were judged based on leadership in meeting the learning needs of students, personal and organizational communication strength, constant professional improvement of knowledge and skills, and active community involvement.
“Sharon is very deserving of this recognition. She is usually the one championing others for recognition,” Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole, superintendent of schools, said. “Therefore, it is heartening to see her recognized at a national level. We are so fortunate to be Sharon's colleague and benefit from her vision for school leadership at Upper St. Clair.”
The honorees in each category were as follows:- Superintendent Award: Blondean Davis, superintendent, Matteson School District 162/Southland College Prep Charter High School, Richton Park, Ill.
- Central Office/Principal Award (for any female central-office or building-level leader): Sharon Suritsky, assistant/deputy superintendent, Upper St. Clair School District, Upper St. Clair, Pa.
- School-Based Award (for a female classroom teacher or school-based specialist): Fran Glick, coordinator of digital learning, Baltimore County Public Schools, Baltimore, Md.
The other finalists were: Laurie Barron, superintendent, Evergreen School District 50, Kalispell, Mont.; Tania Tong, director of special education and student services, Medford School District, Medford, Ore.; and Karen Rubican, counselor, Canon-McMillan School District, Canonsburg, Pa.
AASA announced the 2018 AASA Women in School Leadership Award finalists in September 2017. For more information on the Women in School Leadership Initiative, visit the AASA website or contact Jennifer Rooney, AASA assistant director, at jrooney@aasa.org or 703-875-0778.
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
