Lamar CISD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Randle is one of only five public school administrators from across Texas selected as state finalists for the annual Superintendent of the Year award. Sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the program has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership since 1984.
Joining Dr. Randle as 2017 finalists and their regions are Robert Jaklich, Victoria ISD, Region 3; LaTonya Goffney, Lufkin ISD, Region 7; Judd Marshall, Mount Pleasant ISD, Region 8; and Jim Vaszauskas, Mansfield ISD, Region 11.
“I am honored to be a finalist,” Randle said, “but any honor I receive is only a reflection of the many tremendous employees of Lamar CISD, the commitment from our School Board, as well as a community which recognizes the importance of education.”
The 2017 Superintendent of the Year will be announced Oct. 7 at the TASA/TASB Convention in Dallas. The districts of the winning superintendent and state finalists will receive an award from Balfour, program underwriter.
Dr. Randle was named Region 4 Superintendent of the Year in June. The Region 4 Education Service Center serves a seven-county area composed of 49 public school districts and 38 open-enrollment charter schools, representing more than 1.2 million students, 95,000 educators and 1,500 campuses.
Randle, superintendent of Lamar CISD for 16 years, serves approximately 32,000 students. He has 36 years of administrative experience. Of particular note to the state selection committee were his emphasis on academic excellence, creative learning and innovative practices. Working with his staff and board of trustees, the Lamar CISD stresses every decision should be made with the students in mind. Randle earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Texas A&M University and doctorate at Oklahoma State University.
The state selection committee, which interviewed regional winners August 25-26 in Austin, targeted such issues as advocacy efforts during the regular and special sessions and the importance of all staff members’ contributions to a district’s success. Also explored were the ever-changing challenges facing education leaders as they focus on initiatives and programs that truly benefit students.
Candidates are chosen for their strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality, ability to build effective employee relations, student performance, and commitment to public involvement in education. Superintendents from any of the state’s local school districts are eligible for nomination by their school boards. Local nominees are submitted to a regional selection committee, which chooses one nominee to send to the state selection committee.
TASB is a nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local public school boards. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve approximately 5.4 million students.