Former Salado ISD Superintendent Robin Battershell is one of five finalists for the Texas Association of School Boards Superintendent of the Year award.

Sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the SOTY program has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership since 1984.

The 2016 finalists and their regions are Angi Williams, Galena Park ISD, Region 4; David Harris, DeSoto ISD, Region 10; Marcelo Cavazos, Arlington ISD, Region 11; Robin Battershell, Temple ISD, Region 12; and Greg Gibson, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, Region 20.

The state selection committee, which interviewed regional winners August 26–27 in Austin, targeted such issues as advocacy for public education, recruitment and retention of high-quality educators, programs and initiatives that positively affect student growth, and steps to measure continuous improvement.

At the helm of Temple ISD for eight years, Battershell has 18 years of experience in education administration and serves about 8,600 students. Noted by the committee were her outreach to business partners to discover what specific job skills were needed and implementation of programs to address those needs. Also cited was a strong emphasis on measurement to help achieve district goals. Battershell earned her bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech University, master’s degree at the University of Houston, and doctorate at Baylor University.