by Chris Moran
This article originally appeared in the winter 2026 issue of TASA INSIGHT. Chris Moran is serving as TASA president for the 2025-26 year. In 2024, he became superintendent of San Angelo ISD. With more than three decades of work in public education, Moran previously served as superintendent in Whitehouse and Brownsboro ISDs. In 2019, he was named the Region 7 Superintendent of the year. He has worked as a teacher, coach, bus driver, assistant principal and principal, all in Whitehouse ISD, the district from which he himself graduated. Moran received his bachelor’s degree from Evangel University, his master’s from The University of Texas at Tyler, and a doctorate from Stephen F. Austin State University. He has also received post-doctoral training through the Lamar University Center for Executive Leadership and the SMU District Leadership Fellows. Moran has served on the TASA Executive Committee since 2021. He has also served on the Commissioner’s Cabinet and enthusiastically advocates for all students.
G. Michael Hopf’s observation — “hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times” — is a stark reminder of the cycles of human endeavor. My father, Dale Moran, was one of those strong men who created good times. His work ethic, self-discipline, unwavering conviction, and drive to do things the right way, without compromise, were unmatched. When we lost him to Parkinson’s Disease five years ago, it was a tremendous loss for not only our family but also the community he served faithfully.
My father possessed a toughness characteristic of those born in the 1940s. I recall the stories he told of navigating incredibly difficult situations, yet the result was often spectacular: Relationships deepened, new skills were learned, and a profound camaraderie was formed around having to struggle through the tough times.
I have found this same truth in public education. Some of the most rewarding experiences I have had have resulted from working through situations I initially dreaded and found extremely difficult. The irony is clear: Those hard times are precisely what make this profession one of the most rewarding and enjoyable.
Many scenarios public administrators are charged with resolving are not the result of their own making, but rather, the actions or decisions of others. Superintendents and school administrators often find themselves in the unenviable position of saying, “I didn’t create this mess, but I have to clean it up.”
Your position of leadership is no accident. School administrators should be encouraged that when we face tough times — and that will be often — we are uniquely positioned to navigate difficulty, find win-win results, and make decisions that provide genuine hope for our students and staff.
As Anne Frank wisely observed, “Where there is hope, there is life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.” As a Christian, I am similarly encouraged by Romans 5:3-4, which reminds us that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Our profession desperately needs leaders willing to endure tough times with strength and expertise. It is not always easy or enjoyable, but we must be encouraged to press on. The students and staff in our districts are depending on us to demonstrate strength and tenacity when faced with adversity. They deserve our very best each and every day.
We must remember the fundamental truth: Progress demands struggle. Frederick Douglass stated it best:
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want the rain without thunder and lightning.”
Thank you for leading with strength through hard times!
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