Naples Standard

Collier County Public Schools recently issued the following announcement.

Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) Superintendent, Dr. Kamela Patton, has been named one of four finalists for the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. This distinction honors school system leaders throughout the country who are making a positive difference in the lives of the students they serve, in addition to ensuring the safety and wellness of their school communities.

Co-sponsored by AASA, AIG Retirement Services, and First Student, the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® will be announced during AASA’s National Conference on Education on February 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Our finalists for the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® are bold, innovative and future-driven educators who are working diligently to ensure student success in the communities they represent,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “The champions for children we are honoring know that the one-size-fits-all approach to education is not an option. We are grateful to AIG Retirement Services and First Student for supporting our program.”

Dr. Patton was named Florida’s 2022 Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents earlier this month.

The National Superintendent of the Year® program, now in its 35th year, is open to all U.S. superintendents who plan to continue in the profession. The program also honors international school superintendents. The applicants were measured against the following criteria:

• Leadership for learning – creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in the school system
• Communication – strength in both personal and organizational communication
• Professionalism – constant improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, while providing professional development opportunities and motivation to others on the education team
• Community involvement – active participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional, national and international issues

Dr. Patton was appointed Superintendent of CCPS in June 2011 and is now in her 11th year leading the 115th largest school district in the United States. Prior to taking the helm as Superintendent, Dr. Patton began her 34-year educational career at Miami-Dade County Schools, ultimately rising to the role of Assistant Superintendent of School Operations.

During her tenure as superintendent here in Collier, Dr. Patton has been committed to a trajectory of continuous improvement anchored in culture, academics, and leadership. Since 2011, our district has successfully transformed through the implementation of innovative practices designed to improve student outcomes and impact systemic change. CCPS has achieved numerous accomplishments under Dr. Patton’s leadership including:

• Improved the district ranking to tie for 5th in the State from 33rd just nine years ago
• Increased the graduation rate by 19.7 percentage points to 92.2% from 72.5%
• Earned a district grade of “A” since 2017
• Currently one of seven school districts to earn the “A” distinction for 2021
• CCPS students outperformed the state average on 21 out of 21 tested areas the past school year

These accomplishments are even more impressive considering our district covers 2,300 square miles with a diverse student population—65% of students are on free and reduced lunch, 55% of students come from homes where English is not the first language, and 96 different languages and dialects are spoken. CCPS also has the largest number of migrant families in the state of Florida with over 3,300 migrant students.

In addition to her role as Superintendent, Dr. Patton is actively involved in many community and state organizations, which have earned her numerous awards and recognitions as follows:

• 2021 Naples Daily News Outstanding Citizen of the Year
• 50 Florida Influencers
• Naples Top 100 Distinction
• 2018 Lavan Dukes District Data Leader of the Year Award
• 2018 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Distinguished Leader Award
• 2018 Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Superintendent of the Year Award
• 2017 Star Superintendent Award from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations

Click here to access a list of the four finalists for the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year® and further information about the program.

Original source can be found here.