Dr. Deborah Wortham Wins the AASA's Superintendent Award

Roosevelt School District Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Deborah L. Wortham, was awarded the highest honor a superintendent can receive at the 2024 Women in School Leadership Awards, hosted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) School Superintendent's Association. Dr. Wortham was announced as the winner during an award ceremony at the National Conference on Education in San Diego, California.

“Leading the Roosevelt School District has been such a rewarding experience, and I’m very proud of all we have accomplished here to provide our students with the support, education and opportunities they need to succeed,” said Dr. Wortham. “I’m thrilled and humbled to be chosen for such an esteemed award, a true testament to all we’ve achieved at Roosevelt, and I thank everyone who helped make it possible.”

Dr. Wortham was awarded based on her creativity in successfully meeting the needs of Roosevelt students, strength in both personal and organizational communication, consistent improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, professional development opportunities she affords to her staff, and her active participation in the Roosevelt community.

“The Roosevelt School District would not be what it is today without the leadership of Dr. Deborah Wortham, and I could not think of a more deserving person to be awarded this honor,” said Board of Education President Rose Gietschier. “We’re so proud of Dr. Wortham and everything we have accomplished here under her leadership. This honor exemplifies all that Roosevelt has achieved and continues to achieve when guided by strong leadership, support and community.”

In 2020, Dr. Wortham began her second tenure with the Roosevelt School District and worked with the Board of Education and a team of about 100 staff, students, and community members to create a five-year strategic plan to improve students' performance.

Under her leadership, Roosevelt Middle School and Roosevelt High School were removed from the State's needs-improvement list, ranking all five Roosevelt schools in good standing. State assessment performance increased over the past two years, and graduation rates rose from 70 percent in 2018-2019 to 86 percent in 2021-2022. Furthermore, the 2023 graduating class earned $4.8 million in scholarships, a 23 percent increase from the total earned by the 2022 graduating class.

The AASA School Superintendents Association comprises more than 13,000 educational leaders across the globe. Its mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access to the highest quality public education for all students.

The National Conference on Education is regarded as the most comprehensive professional learning and networking event for school superintendents and administrators. About 3,000 superintendents come together to form connections, share ideas and hear from education thought leaders on improving student outcomes and district performance.

To learn more about the Roosevelt Union Free School District, please visit the District's website at https://www.rooseveltufsd.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RooseveltUFSD.