Aspiring Superintendents Academy

TASA’s Aspiring Superintendents Academy is a must-attend for those who aspire to become superintendents. Held in conjunction with the TASA Midwinter Conference, the academy offers nearly 14 hours of content (over the course of the four-day conference) that focuses on both how to get the job and how to be successful in the job, plus more than 30 sitting superintendents and representatives from multiple search firms.

ADD THE ACADEMY TO YOUR MIDWINTER CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

If you’ve already registered for the Midwinter Conference but want to add on registration for the Aspiring Superintendents Academy, you must contact TASA at 512.477.6361 or 800.725.TASA (8272).

About the Academy

Topics

During the Aspiring Superintendents Academy, you will cover:

the calling of this work
the path to the superintendency
development of a résumé and entry plan
interview preparation
navigating search firms
navigating superintendent contracts
governance and board relations
thriving in the first year

Format

With presentations, discussions, and Q&A sessions with both new and seasoned superintendents, presentations from the state’s leading search firms, along with hands-on activities around the content necessary for you to get and succeed in the job, an online repository of sample résumés, entry plans and résumé questions, the academy is poised to provide aspiring superintendents with a one-of-a-kind experience that includes nearly 14 hours of professional learning in preparation for the superintendency.

New for 2024!

Fireside chat with TASA President LaTonya Goffney and TASA President-Elect Martha Salazar-Zamora about their paths to the superintendency
Crash course on résumé development followed by a peer-reviewed résumé activity
Live, on-stage job interview with a superintendent and a feedback/coaching session
Built-in time for small group discussions with the major search firms

SEE THE 2024 AGENDA

Speakers to be announced soon; watch TASA Daily for details!

Academy Leader

Jill Siler

Jill Siler served as the superintendent of Gunter ISD from 2012 to 2021, when she joined the full-time TASA staff as deputy executive director, professional learning.

Prior to joining the TASA staff, she chaired TASA’s Future-Ready Superintendent Leadership Network (FRSLN) Design Team, which brings together innovative leaders from across the state to learn, share, and grow together. She was also a member of the TASA 2025 Task Force, which helped launch the redesign of this academy.

Jill has a passion for helping others reach their goals and has been a frequent speaker at TASA’s Aspiring Superintendent Academy and First-Time Superintendents Academy, as well as the Texas Council of Women School Executives (TCWSE) Annual Conference and other leadership conferences.

She published her first book in 2020, focused on thriving through the most difficult moments of leadership. Her writing and other resources helpful to aspiring leaders can be found at jillmsiler.com.

What They’re Saying About the Aspiring Superintendents Academy

The Aspiring Superintendents Academy was amazing! All of the presenters were spot on! It helped that they seemed to truly care about my progression into the role of a superintendent. I was able to reflect after the completion of each session and think about how it corresponded to what I needed to do to refine my skills as a leader and an aspiring superintendent. Dr. Siler and her team developed an academy that was relevant, engaging, and inspiring. If you want to serve as a superintendent this academy is a must!

Herbert O'Neil, Jr.

Superintendent, Hempstead ISD

Attending the Aspiring Superintendents Academy year after year allows me to see, hear, and imagine my potential and that of those in my networks for this type of service in education. Though I have no immediate plans to be a superintendent, I believe it’s wise to share a space with others who are actively pursuing it in order to grow leadership capacity, understanding, practices, and networks. Besides, where else do you have the opportunity to learn from this many superintendents in one room, right? This truly is a must-do at any point of your career. I cannot recommend it enough.

Amy Sharp

Principal, Leander ISD