from the Richmond Times-DispatchHenrico schools' outgoing superintendent Fred Morton IV has been named Virginia's Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright and the officers of four Virginia education organizations selected Morton from among eight regional Superintendents of the Year, who were selected earlier this year from a field of 133 school superintendents in the state. Morton holds the honor in Region 1.
Morton has served as superintendent of the 48,000-student Henrico County Public Schools since 2004. Prior to that, he was superintendent of Montgomery County Schools in Blacksburg. He also has served as principal of Western Albemarle High School in Albemarle County and of Covington High School in Covington.
"We're very proud. It's a validation of the great programs begun and ongoing under his leadership," School Board Chairman John Montgomery said.
In Henrico, Morton has begun a student congress made up of high school students who take part in proposing guidelines and changes to district policies. "We created a meaningful voice for students in School Board policy and decisions," Morton said.
He also created a program requiring administrators to "adopt" students identified as potential dropouts; the program reduced the dropout rate by nearly a third in one year.
Henrico schools also have increased minority hiring, developed a nontraditional-students division and created academic achievement teams.
"So many people have been part of the work," Morton said. "It's our award, not my award."
Morton will leave the Henrico school system in July. This fall, he will begin as director of the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School in Richmond.
Morton will be in the running for National Superintendent of the Year, which will be presented in February by the American Association of School Administrators.
By Lisa Crutchfield
