SOTY Entry Requirements

Recommendation letter

In a letter of recommendation addressed to the SOTY Selection Committee, the school board president should cite examples of the superintendent’s leadership. Explain why the chief administrator should be named Superintendent of the Year, expanding on the following topics:

  • Leadership, Management, and School Climate
  • School Board-Superintendent Relations
  • School Improvement and Instructional Leadership
  • Fiscal Management
  • School-Community Relations

At the end of the letter, succinctly respond to “Why our superintendent should be selected as Superintendent of the Year.”

Nomination packet

Be sure to include the following:

  • Official entry form
  • Student Performance Work Sheet
  • The letter, signed by the board president (no longer than five pages, 12-point Times New Roman, 1.5-line spacing, and 1-inch margins)
  • A basic resume listing current positions and professional organizations (no more than three pages)
  • A resolution indicating the board’s decision to nominate the superintendent (Remember to place the resolution on the board meeting agenda early in the process)
  • Three photos, a photo of the superintendent (headshot), a photo of the superintendent and the board, and a photo fo the superintendent interacting with students

Photo requirements

Minimum image size 1,500 x 2,100 pixels (5x7" at 300 dpi), preferred image size 8.5 x 11" in .jpg format.

No other documentation will be accepted.

Submission

Nominations should be sent to the executive director of the district’s education service center (ESC) being sure to copy soty@tasb.org. The packet documents should be scanned and submitted as a single PDF in the order listed above with the exception of the photos, which should each be individual .jpg files. The packet and photos must be e-mailed to the ESC by close of business April 21.

2023 Schedule

  • April 21: Nomination submissions due to designated ESC
  • June 30: Regional screening completed and nominations submitted to TASB
  • August 25–26: All regional winners interviewed and five finalists chosen by the TASB State Selection Committee
  • September: Finalists interviewed and Superintendent of the Year chosen by TASB State Selection Committee
  • September: Presentation of the award at txEDCON23 TASA | TASB Convention

If you have questions, call us at 800.580.8272 or e-mail soty@tasb.org.