June 2, 2023 – San Antonio ISD today announced that Dr. Shawn Bird will join the district leadership team as deputy superintendent of school leadership and partnership services. The SAISD Board of Trustees approved the appointment at a special-called board meeting on May 31. Bird begins his appointment with SAISD July 1.
In this role, Bird will be responsible for the managerial and operational oversight of SAISD’s school campuses, lead the school leadership team of assistant superintendents, and facilitate services and communication with the district’s 1882 partners and campuses.
“I am looking forward to Dr. Bird joining the SAISD familia,” said Dr. Jaime Aquino, SAISD superintendent. “He is a strong leader and educator, and I am confident that he will continue to build upon our trajectory of providing an excellent, world-class education to our students. His passion for education and commitment to student success make him the ideal candidate for this important role."
“I am thrilled to join Superintendent Aquino in welcoming Dr. Bird to San Antonio,” said SAISD Board President Christina Martinez. “He brings extensive leadership experience and a history of building systems that prioritize children’s interests over everything else.”
Bird most recently comes from Houston ISD, where he served as the chief academic officer. He has spent his entire 25-year career in urban school districts serving as a teacher, instructional coach, and middle and high school principal before moving to district leadership positions.
Prior to Houston ISD, Bird served the Los Angeles Unified School District as an instructional director, a position in which he supervised and coached leaders of innovative and primarily teacher-led schools. Bird also has served as the chief academic officer for Pasadena Unified School District, a suburb of Los Angeles. During his tenure there, the reclassification rates of English learners improved by 27% and he expanded the dual language program to provide access to Spanish, French, and Mandarin programming.
Bird also has served as chief of schools in the School District of Philadelphia and Portland Public Schools. In these positions, he led assistant superintendents who supported principals in order to improve academic outcomes for all students. In both school districts, he implemented systems and processes to support principal growth and development as instructional leaders.
“Congratulations on Shawn Bird! He is amazing,” said Dalia Contreras, chief executive officer of City Education Partners. “I met him in the Superintendents Academy in Chicago, and he is a rock star. Big win for SAISD.”