Arkansas educators pick Dr. Jeremy Owoh as 2024 superintendent of the year
JACKSONVILLE, Ark. (KATV) — In a state with more than 200 superintendents, Dr. Jeremy Owoh is still wrapping his head around being the one his peers picked for the top honor.
The Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators has named Owoh, of the Jacksonville North Pulaski County School District, its 2024 Superintendent of the Year.
“I’m grateful and thankful. It’s still kind of surreal for me, because out of the 200-plus superintendents in the state, my peers selected me, and so it’s a blessing,” Owoh said.
Owoh said the selection process begins with nominations from across the education community statewide.
“You start off with the nomination, and anyone in education around the state can nominate you,” he said. After being notified, nominees submit “a pretty lengthy packet with documentation and artifacts in a video,” he said.
From there, Owoh said, the information is entered into a database and reviewed by interviewers who “grade or score the artifacts.”
“And then you wait. And if you win, they surprise you. If not, then there’s always next year,” he said.
Owoh credited his district’s approach to student success as going beyond test scores and graduation numbers, with an emphasis on preparing students for life after high school.
“We also know that there’s so many other things that define success outside of those letter grades and and end-of-the-year scores, such as industry-level certifications,” he said. “Are they prepared for life after 12th grade year? Do they have those credentials, those skills, those lived experiences?”
He said the district’s goal is to focus on “the well-rounded individual,” so students know what opportunities exist and are ready to pursue them.
A key part of that work, Owoh said, is the district’s College and Career Academies, designed to prepare students for multiple paths after graduation, whether that’s a four-year college, a two-year program, the workforce or the military.
“And so it’s really making sure that our young people are geared and prepared for several pathways and not just one,” he said.
Owoh said the district also works to stay current as industries evolve, leaning on conversations with business and community partners to keep programs aligned with real-world changes.
“They keep us ahead of the curve because as even like manufacturing, welding, HVAC, as those careers start to innovate, it’s important that we have those conversations with our industry leaders so that we can also make those adjustments in the classroom and then the lab areas,” he said.
Asked what advice he’d offer other educators, Owoh pointed to listening first and building strong partnerships.
“Well, I tell you, to start off, you have to have student voice. Take time to listen to your students interests, their passions, what they want to do in the future,” he said. “Build those community relationships.”
“Partnerships mean the world to us in Jacksonville because we wouldn’t be able to do the work that we do each and every day without those meaningful partnerships,” he said, adding that “student voice, parental voice, and educator voice are very important when making informed decisions at the district district level and school level.”