Chris CiarloChannel 2 News
Thursday Washoe County School District Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison was named National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.
We talked with Dr. Morrison shortly after the announcement. He told us he is honored to accept the award on behalf of the whole school district.
"I am so humbled and I just really mean this, I think about the teachers. They're doing so many amazing things in the classroom. Our principals who are bringing great leadership and as a superintendent you get to be a part of all that," Dr. Morrison said.
We also asked Dr. Morrison why he thought he took home the title. Here's what he had to say, "I believe what they're looking for is a story that can be told, so that we can talk about how we can get these things done across all the various school districts and the country and not why we can't. That's our philosophy in Washoe County."
The American Association of School Administrator's director praised Morrison for his leadership and success in boosting graduation rates despite working with fewer resources and continual budget cuts.
Between 2009 and 2011, Washoe County School District's graduation rate rose 14%. The district also showed improvements in test scores and narrowed the achievement gap in many subjects.
Friday, Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller praised the news that Morrison was named Superintendent of the Year.
"His success is a testament to the impact quality educators have on achievement and on students' lives," Senator Reid said on the Senate floor Friday.
Senator Heller also applauded Morrison in a statement saying, "Ensuring our schools have the resources they need to provide our children with the best education possible is important and with leaders like Morrison we can help our students strive for excellence."
