Georgetown ISD Announces new Chief Academic Officer
Georgetown ISD named Sonja Howard as Chief Academic Officer tonight during the monthly meeting of the GISD Board of Trustees. Dr. Howard has been serving in Del Valle ISD since 2017 as the Director of Literacy and Biliteracy, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and most recently, Executive Director of Principal Leadership.
A veteran educator in central Texas, Howard has served as a teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, and principal in Austin and Round Rock ISDs as well as leadership roles at the Region 13 Education Service Center.
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Howard to the Georgetown ISD family,” said Superintendent Devin Padavil. “Sonja’s strong background as an elementary principal, leadership in curriculum and literacy growth makes her a great addition to our team.”
In her new role, Sonja will be responsible for leading the Teaching and Learning team to
develop and support systems to build a culture of literacy throughout Georgetown ISD;
develop and facilitate systems to advance student learning, GISD Learner Profile growth, and engagement;
create systems and processes to align resources to district goals and strategic priorities;
work directly with district leaders to advance the work of the GISD Strategic Direction Balanced Scorecard work;
use district student achievement results to improve strategies, processes, and outcomes of the teaching/learning process;
utilize knowledge of curriculum content and the curriculum development process to grow educator skills to create high-quality learning experiences for students.
Howard holds three degrees from The University of Texas—Austin: a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy, a master’s in educational administration, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Howard has lived in the Austin area with her husband Craig for nearly 30 years. They have four daughters, Keirsten, Kennadee, Kendalle, and Kaithland.
Howard will officially begin her new role in May.
