Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard has been selected as the Washington Superintendent of the year.
Swinyard says he’s hopeful the award will put attention on the work the district is doing as a whole to improve outcomes for all students.
“Regardless of the purpose, or reason, any time that the work of our staff, our families and our students can be showcased is something I think is really positive and is great reinforcement that when we'll all working together, we're going to be better,” he said.
According to a release from the Washington Association of School Administrators, Swinyard was chosen for his focus on equity and the improvement in the district’s graduation rates over the last several years. The graduation rate for last school year was just over 90 percent. In 2013, about 79 percent of students graduated, according to the Washington State Office of Public Instruction.
The award puts also puts Swinyard in the running for national superintendent of the year.
