Chief of Staff Michael Ramirez Chosen for Aspiring Superintendent Leadership Program

The Council of Great City Schools is launching a leadership class for aspiring superintendents and has chosen Chief of Staff Michael Ramirez to participate. The eight-month program will cover such topics as school board relations, academics, operations, finances, and labor relations.

“I am extremely honored to have been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Council’s program,” Ramirez said. “I look forward to the opportunity to learn and grow with an incredible group of leaders from around the country. I believe this experience will allow me to share the great work happening in our school district, while also bringing back ideas to enhance the work as we live out our vision of being a World-Class School System.”

The Council of the Great City Schools Michael Casserly Urban Executive Leadership Institute for Aspiring Superintendents is designed to prepare future-ready superintendents to serve as the chief executive officer of a member district of the Council. Ramirez and the nine other inaugural participants did not apply to the program, but were recommended through a rigorous nomination and selection process.

The institute is named after the Council’s longtime former executive director and will be led by Michael Hinojosa, former superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District and the Council of Great School’s Superintendent-in-Residence. Cohort members will receive instruction from Hinojosa as well as current and former superintendents who have had a history of success and significant tenure in a Council school district.

“The Michael Casserly Institute for Aspiring Superintendents will offer an intensive learning experience and a first-class professional development opportunity for senior-level executives who desire to become a superintendent,” said Hinojosa. “I’m very excited to give these participants an opportunity to receive valuable coaching and mentoring from successful superintendents who have been in the trenches and know what is needed to succeed in a tough environment. I truly believe that with the variety of tools and skillsets we will give them through the Institute, members of the cohort will be well-prepared to take the reins and improve the nation’s urban school systems.”

Ramirez was one of two finalists interviewed to be Superintendent for the School District of Lee County. Dr. Christopher Bernier was appointed by the School Board and he hired Ramirez to be Chief of Staff. Prior to joining the District, Ramirez spent three years as Deputy Superintendent for Denver Public Schools in Colorado and 24 years as a teacher and administrator in Broward County and Miami-Dade County.

The Council of the Great City Schools is composed of 78 large city school districts. Its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research and media relations. The organization also provides a network for school districts sharing common problems to exchange information, and to collectively address new challenges as they emerge to deliver the best possible education for urban youth.