National Superintendent of the Year®
The National Superintendent of the Year® Program pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead our nation's public schools.
This program is done in partnership with First Student, Corebridge Financial and AASA.
To be eligible for the National Superintendent of the Year® Award, candidates must first be named by their state association as the State Superintendent of the Year.
Any AASA Affiliate Association State Superintendent of the Year® who plans to continue in the profession may be nominated or apply.
This program is designed to recognize the outstanding leadership of active, front-line superintendents. It is not recognition of service at retirement or a program to reward current state or national leaders.
Each candidate for the National Superintendent of the Year® Award must first be named by their state association as the State Superintendent of the Year.
Each State Superintendent of the Year is judged on the following criteria:
- Leadership for Learning: Creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in his or her 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.
Nominations:
Nominations must be completed using this online form.
NOTE: To be
eligible for the AASA National Superintendent of the Year® Award, nominees must first be awarded their state superintendent of the year designation.
Applications:
Current State Superintendents of the Year can submit applications using this online form.
Applications are due by November 1 annually.
- November 1: Deadline for all State Superintendents of the Year to complete the National Superintendent of the Year® application
- December: National Superintendent of the Year® finalists notified
- January: Four finalists participate in a national briefing and interviews at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
- February: National Superintendent of the Year® is announced and all State Superintendents of the Year are honored on stage at the AASA National Conference on Education
- November: Superintendent of the Year Gala and Forum is held in honor of all State Superintendents of the Year and the National Superintendent of the Year® winner.
Finalists for the 2023 AASA National Superintendent of the Year®
PJ Caposey
Meridian Community Unit School District #223
Stillman Valley, Ill.
PJ Caposey is a dynamic speaker and a transformational leader and educator. PJ began his career as an award-winning teacher in the inner-city of Chicago and has subsequently led significant change in every administrative post he has held.
Matthew Hillmann
Northfield Public Schools, ISD 659
Northfield, Minn.
Matthew Hillmann has over 25 years of public education experience as a teacher, coach, principal, and district-level leader in nearly every aspect of school administration. He has taught as an adjunct faculty member for educational leadership at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota State University, Mankato, and the University of Minnesota.
Kevin McGowan
Brighton Central Schools
Rochester, N.Y.
Kevin McGowan has been the Superintendent of the Brighton Central School District since 2009. He began his career as an elementary teacher in the Starpoint Central School District before becoming a High School Assistant Principal at Iroquois High School and then an elementary principal at Wales Primary School.
Trent North
Douglas County School System
Douglasville, Ga.
Trent North began his tenure with the Douglas County School System in 2017. As leader of the state’s 17th-largest school district, he oversees 35 schools, 3,400 employees and nearly 26,000 students. Throughout his 31 years in education, he has maintained an unwavering commitment to seeing every student excel.
Congratulations to the 2022 AASA National Superintendent of the Year®
Curtis Cain, superintendent, Wentzville School District (Mo.)
Cain has served as superintendent of Wentzville Schools, a district with more than 17,300 students, since 2013. The school system’s performance on the state’s Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) is in the top 13% of the more than 520 school districts in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact your state association to inquire about its State Superintendent of the Year selection process and application deadlines. Timelines vary from state to state.
AASA has affiliate relationships with many state associations. View them here.
Use the "forgot your password" link on the login page.
If you do not receive an email within one hour, please contact awards@aasa.org or 703-875-0709.
The honorees will be recognized on Thursday at the opening general session.
Yes, guests can attend the general session. They will be allowed to enter the hall once the doors open (approximately 10 minutes before session start time).
Thank You to our National Superintendent of the Year Partners
Questions?
Contact awards@aasa.org
or call 703-875-0709