Madison School District Superintendent Retires

PHOENIX - Feb. 19, 2014 - PRLog -- Last night Dr. Tim Ham, Madison School District Superintendent, announced his retirement, which was accepted by the Madison Governing Board. Dr. Ham has served public education for over 30 years with almost 25% of his career at Madison. Dr. Ham and his Administrative Leadership Team have brought the Madison School District to its highest level of achievement in recent decades, as evidenced by Madison receiving  an “A” Label as measured by the Arizona Department of Education, being the first elementary school district in Arizona to be “Internationally Accredited” through AdvancED, and attaining multiple awards, culminating in Dr. Ham being named Arizona Superintendent of the Year for 2014 by AASA, the School Superintendents Association.

At the Madison Governing Board Meeting, Board President Robin Stamp lauded Dr. Ham for Madison’s accomplishments during his tenure as superintendent and the excellent district leadership team he has assembled. This team will ensure the continuity of the initiatives that have led the Arizona Republic to describe Madison as, “the best performing elementary district in Phoenix.” These initiatives include the development of specialty schools, including a very successful Spanish Immersion Program at Madison Heights Elementary School. These initiatives coupled with the excellence of Madison’s Academic performance have resulted in Madison having the highest percentage of Open Enrollment students in the state (approximately 45%). Dr. Ham has also filled a significant role in education leadership in Arizona through multiple offices held in key organizations including Arizona School Administrators, Arizona Business Education Coalition, Arizona School Boards Association Insurance Trust, and Expect More Arizona.

The Governing Board will be conducting a comprehensive search and interview process which will culminate in the selection of the new Madison Superintendent in April. The position will close on March 7. Questions and interest can be directed to Deb Huffaker at dhuffaker@msd38.org.

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About Madison School District

Madison is an “A” labeled destination school district in the heart of Phoenix that is Internationally Accredited by AdvancED. Established in 1890, Madison honors its tradition of excellence as it looks forward to the future by implementing a variety of initiatives and programs for students to ensure Extraordinary Learning for All. Madison's eight schools provide a program of public education from pre-kindergarten through grade eight, with an estimated current enrollment of approximately 6,000 students. Madison’s community spans a wide socio-economic range and reflects the ethnic diversity of the city as a whole. Neighborhoods in the area have been highlighted in Phoenix Home and Garden and Money magazines, with both publications listing the local public schools as one of the reasons they are so desirable. The Arizona Republic referred to Madison as, “…the best performing Elementary District in Phoenix," and this standard of excellence has led to 44% of Madison students coming from outside district boundaries through open enrollment. For more information, visit madisonaz.org. Follow Madison on Twitter at twitter.com/MadisonAZ or on Facebook at facebook.com/MadisonAZ.