Jim Hickerson Named Alaska Superintendent of the Year
The Alaska Association of School Administrators (AASA) has announced that Jim Hickerson is Alaska’s Superintendent of the Year for 2010.
Jim Hickerson has been Superintendent of the Bering Strait School District since 2007 and has devoted his entire educational career to the district. Beginning as a teacher in 1981, he moved to central administration in 1984, assumed the Assistant Superintendent position in 1999, a position he held until tapped as Superintendent in 2007.
The Bering Strait School District, located in northwestern Alaska, serves primarily Alaska Native students in 15 isolated villages on the Seward Peninsula on the eastern end of Norton Sound and on two islands in the Bering Sea. Most of the district’s students are Inupiat, Yupik or Siberian Yupik Eskimos. The Bering Strait School District is huge in physical size, covering nearly 80,000 square miles, most of which is reachable only by air or water.
Mr. Hickerson was nominated by several staff members who characterized him as “…an advocate for children…an instructional leader committed to improving the educational opportunities for all of our children.” They noted his high visibility throughout the sprawling district, where he initiated and personally attended community meetings in the highest need villages to exchange ideas. Jim expects the same level of involvement of his administrative staff – he insures that district office administrators visit the schools often so that they can understand the situations classroom teachers face, in order to better support them. Mr. Hickerson likewise has established partnerships with other organizations; in particular he worked with the district attorney’s office and the court system to tackle the problem of truancy throughout the district. Through his efforts, many students are returning to school who have not attended for months, and in some cases years.
Jim served as President of the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) Board for four years and currently is on the board for the Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center (NACTEC). Alaskan administrators have nominated Mr. Hickerson for National Superintendent of the Year. His nomination will be advanced to the American Association of School Administrators for consideration next February at the association’s annual conference in Phoenix.
The selection committee was comprised of representatives from the PTA, NEA-Alaska, AASSP/AAESP (secondary/elementary principals’ associations), AASB (school boards), State Chamber of Commerce, a former Superintendent of the Year and the President of AASA. Dr. Donna Peterson, former Superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, chaired the committee on behalf of AASA.
For additional information contact:
Dr. Mary A. Francis, Executive Director, AASA
907.586.9702 or mary-acsa@gci.net
Jim Hickerson has been Superintendent of the Bering Strait School District since 2007 and has devoted his entire educational career to the district. Beginning as a teacher in 1981, he moved to central administration in 1984, assumed the Assistant Superintendent position in 1999, a position he held until tapped as Superintendent in 2007.
The Bering Strait School District, located in northwestern Alaska, serves primarily Alaska Native students in 15 isolated villages on the Seward Peninsula on the eastern end of Norton Sound and on two islands in the Bering Sea. Most of the district’s students are Inupiat, Yupik or Siberian Yupik Eskimos. The Bering Strait School District is huge in physical size, covering nearly 80,000 square miles, most of which is reachable only by air or water.
Mr. Hickerson was nominated by several staff members who characterized him as “…an advocate for children…an instructional leader committed to improving the educational opportunities for all of our children.” They noted his high visibility throughout the sprawling district, where he initiated and personally attended community meetings in the highest need villages to exchange ideas. Jim expects the same level of involvement of his administrative staff – he insures that district office administrators visit the schools often so that they can understand the situations classroom teachers face, in order to better support them. Mr. Hickerson likewise has established partnerships with other organizations; in particular he worked with the district attorney’s office and the court system to tackle the problem of truancy throughout the district. Through his efforts, many students are returning to school who have not attended for months, and in some cases years.
Jim served as President of the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) Board for four years and currently is on the board for the Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center (NACTEC). Alaskan administrators have nominated Mr. Hickerson for National Superintendent of the Year. His nomination will be advanced to the American Association of School Administrators for consideration next February at the association’s annual conference in Phoenix.
The selection committee was comprised of representatives from the PTA, NEA-Alaska, AASSP/AAESP (secondary/elementary principals’ associations), AASB (school boards), State Chamber of Commerce, a former Superintendent of the Year and the President of AASA. Dr. Donna Peterson, former Superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, chaired the committee on behalf of AASA.
For additional information contact:
Dr. Mary A. Francis, Executive Director, AASA
907.586.9702 or mary-acsa@gci.net
posted by Delta News Web at 7/22/2009 11:42:00 PM
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