As a former chief of staff for Houston ISD, Dr. Susan Sclafani (Ph.D., Educational Administration and Supervision, ‘87) is keenly aware of the importance of experienced and dedicated administrators in the field of education. Dr. Sclafani graduated from our esteemed Cooperative Superintendency Program (CSP) at the College of Education, UT Austin, which cultivates the next generation of school leaders, policymakers and researchers in Texas and beyond.
To engage and support future education leaders and high-level administrators, Dr. Sclafani established the Susan K. Sclafani Cooperative Superintendency Program Endowment. Furthermore, she created additional philanthropic plans in her will, ensuring that the endowment will one day become a graduate fellowship.
”Why not bring in this breadth of talent from across the state?” Dr. Sclafani said. ”That’s what’s so great about the CSP.”
Growing up, her mother strongly encouraged her to attend Vassar College and she received a full scholarship to Vassar College. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Chicago before moving to Houston. Dr. Sclafani then completed the Cooperative Superintendency Program at the College of Education, UT Austin before returning to Houston ISD, where she continued to grow her career in public education.
If you’re on the superintendent track, “you’ll need to learn about budgets, busses and buildings to advance your career,” she said. Practical skills such as these are taught under the supervision of our network of practitioners across Texas.
Dr. Sclafani credits COE for her passion around the CSP program, which helped her create relationships with colleagues who had vastly different backgrounds from her own. “The college gave me a lot,” she said. “That’s why I’ve contributed to it for the last 30 years.”
She hopes that other alumni will join her.
”This endowment is really the first step,” Dr. Sclafani said. ”My plan is to engage alumni and inspire them to give to the next generation of leadership.”
Aside from her role as chief of staff at HISD, Dr. Sclafani served as counselor to former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, where she helped establish the Mathematics and Science Initiative. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, where she established the national High School Redesign Initiative to create high schools that better serve adolescents.
She has also taught at and led a magnet school for the engineering profession, served as vice president at The Pearson Foundation, developed research-based educational curricula, and worked in international education consulting. She is currently vice president for Programs at the Forum for World Education, a nonprofit organization that connects the business community with educators to discuss preparing the new generation for the future.
”I’ve loved every job I’ve ever had,” Dr. Sclafani said. ”I’m not ready to quit. There’s still work to be done!”
To learn more about supporting the Cooperative Superintendency Program, please contact COE Development team.
