Home2009 Utah Superintendent of the Year
September 8, 2008
The Utah School Superintendents Association today announced that McKell Withers, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools for Salt Lake City School District, has been named the 2009 Utah Superintendent of the Year.
The Utah Public Education Coalition, comprised of leaders from the Utah School Superintendents Association, the Utah Elementary School Principals Association, the Utah Secondary School Principals Association, the Utah Education Association, the Utah PTA, the Utah School Boards Association, the Deans Council, and the Utah School Employees Association selected Dr. Withers from an outstanding list of candidates. Dr Withers will represent Utah in the upcoming National Superintendent of the Year program.
Dr. Withers has earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for children. His efforts on behalf of the students of Salt Lake City have often put him at the point of meetings, discussions, and debates with community leaders throughout the state. He spends countless hours, including personal time, on Utah’s Capitol Hill sharing information and providing insight to state leaders as he fights to keep the needs of children at the forefront of every discussion surrounding education.
Under the leadership of Dr. Withers, the Salt Lake City School District has taken the lead in providing students and parents with a wide array of educational choices within the public school system to meet the individual learning needs of each child. He firmly believes that high quality public schools are the backbone of a healthy democracy but realizes that students are unique individuals with unique educational needs. Providing a variety of choices - K-8 schools, arts and science programs in traditional schools, district charter schools, community learning centers, and high school academies - has been a focus of his administration.
Dr. Withers joined the Salt Lake City School District in January 2003. Before taking his position in Salt Lake City he was the Assistant Superintendent for Support Services in Granite School District. Prior to that, he was the principal of Olympus High School and Bonneville Junior High School. He also worked as Director of Student Services, a school counselor and a classroom teacher. His ties to Utah public education go back to his youth. Dr. Withers is a graduate of Salt Lake City’s South High School.
Deseret News link: http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700257254,00.html
