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Azle school trustees began their evening Tuesday by taking part in a graduation ceremony for students in the new Azle Hornet Academy – students who had dropped out, then returned to finish their high school diplomas in a self-paced, computer-based evening program.
They ended it by renewing the contract of the superintendent who brought the academy to Azle ISD.
The board’s three-hour session behind closed doors likely had more to do with the hiring of a new head football coach than the evaluation of superintendent Dr. Ray Lea – a sign of just how much times have changed in Azle ISD. At around 11:15 p.m. the board reemerged into open session and voted unanimously to extend Dr. Ray Lea’s contract another year, keeping him at the helm of Azle ISD for at least the next three years. Lea, who was hired as Azle’s superintendent on Dec. 15, 2008, is glad the process is over.
“This is my 18th evaluation – and it’s always a challenge,” the veteran administrator said. “There are always things to improve on.” Board member Marsha Scott said she doesn’t see a whole lot of room for improvement when evaluating Lea’s performance. “I’ve been very impressed, for several reasons,” she said. She said Lea is a well-rounded superintendent who is focused on academics – but also understands the important role extracurricular activities play in a student’s life. Scott said she’s also gotten good feedback regarding Lea’s “leadership skills” – his ability to work with teachers and other staff members. The school district’s improvement in academics – including a Recognized rating on the state-mandated Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test this past year – can be attributed at least in part to strong leadership at the top, she said. In short, Lea was a good hire at a time when AISD desperately needed it, she said. Not long ago, the board spent many hours over the course of several meetings evaluating their superintendent. “I think we were very fortunate he (Lea) was interested in our district,” Scott said. “He walks the talk.” Lea said he’s still got some work to do, including the district’s continued improvement in academics. But he doesn’t just want Azle students to do well on compliance tests like TAKS. He wants the entire hands-on learning experience to improve in each individual classroom – from kindergarten through 12th grade. He calls it achieving the “profound learning” experience. “I want learning to be relevant to each individual student,” he said. Lea said he is now firmly entrenched as an Azle Hornet after serving eight years as the superintendent for Whitesboro ISD. The University of North Texas grad beat out 48 other candidates for the Azle job. “I couldn’t be more complimentary of the teachers and administrators we have here,” he said. “I think they really care about the kids. “I love Azle,” he said. “I love it here. I think I’ve become a Hornet.” Lea’s salary is $160,250 a year. |
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