Raised in rural Missouri, Roy Getchell has been an educator for 33 years. He has worked as an elementary and middle school teacher, high school counselor, elementary school principal and assistant principal, and superintendent. Those experiences have been in rural, Title 1, and suburban settings with a wide variety of learners in the states of Nevada, Missouri, Colorado, and Alaska. In addition, he was a campus director for the largest campus of the UAE’s national private school in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He has led schools that were authorized during his tenure by the International Baccalaureate Programme five times in three diverse locations. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Denver, an M.S. in Guidance and Counseling from Missouri State University, and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Missouri Southern State University. Roy currently serves as the President of the Alaska Superintendents Association and the Alaska Council of School Administrators and is a fierce advocate for public education. He has been married to his wife of 33 years, Tracy, who is a 4th grade teacher and is the father of two daughters, Dori and Avari, who are Elementary Education majors at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Past AASA Alaska Superintendent of the Year Winners:
2023 Alaska Superintendent of the Year: Bill Hill
2022 Alaska Superintendent of the Year: Bridget Weiss
2021 Alaska Superintendent of the Year: Ty Mase
About the Award:
The Superintendent of the Year program, sponsored by First Student and AASA, pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation’s public schools.
State-level winners are selected on the following criteria:
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- Leadership for Learning
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Community Involvement