After 10 years as the leader of the Alamo Heights Independent School District, and 18 years within the district, Superintendent Kevin Brown announced Saturday he plans to leave San Antonio for a new role in Austin following the 2017-18 school year.
Starting July 1, Brown will lead the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) as its executive director, leaving Alamo Heights ISD in search of a new chief. TASA is the statewide professional association for Texas school administrators.
Brown previously served as the president of TASA and chair of the TASA 2025 Task Force to develop a long-range plan for the organization. He also has served as the president of the Texas School Coalition and as a member of the Legislative Council for the University Interscholastic League.
“I believe in the promise of public education for individuals, families, communities, and our entire nation,” Brown wrote in a prepared statement. “TASA is uniquely positioned to defend public schools, help them transform into student-centered organizations, celebrate their success, and develop the strongest leadership capacity our state has ever known.”
In a letter to the Alamo Heights community posted on the school district’s website, Brown wrote that he takes this next step with “mixed emotions.”
“The decision to leave has been agonizing for my family and me as we have grown to love this community,” he wrote. In the letter, Brown explains that his children attended Alamo Heights ISD schools from kindergarten through high school.
Brown also praised his colleagues for their shared achievements. “Our focus on student engagement, character education, professional learning, and expanded opportunities and program choices for our students have yielded impressive results,” Brown wrote.
Superintendent since 2008, Brown led the district through two successful bond elections, in 2010 and 2017, and through the creation of the Profile of a Learner, the plan that guides the district’s strategic actions.
In 2015, Brown was named the Region 20 Superintendent of the Year and was a Top 5 state finalist for Superintendent of the Year.
“Kevin’s leadership has had an incredible influence in our district from the pedagogy in classrooms, to the aspirational mission and vision we now claim for ourselves in AHISD,” wrote Dana Bashara, assistant superintendent for elementary education in a district press release.
In his new role at TASA, Brown will replace Johnny Veselka, who will retire from the role as TASA Executive Director on June 30. Veselka served as the executive director for the past 32 years.
Alamo Heights ISD has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday morning. Trustees will meet in closed session and may discuss plans for a superintendent search. Brown’s last day in Alamo Heights ISD will be June 30.
