Madison Board Names New Superintendent

PHOENIX - April 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Phoenix, AZ  ̶  April 2, 2014  ̶  Last night the Madison Governing Board named Dr. Quinn Kellis as the new Superintendent of Madison School District. Dr. Kellis has more than twenty-four years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, middle school Principal, and district administrator in the Dysart and Deer Valley school districts. An Arizona native, Dr. Kellis earned degrees from Arizona State University, Chapman University, and Brigham Young University. He has served as President of the Arizona School Administrators Educational Services Division, been a member of several school and district evaluation teams for AdvancED, and has presented at state and national conferences. When asked about his educational focus, Dr. Kellis stated, “As an ambassador for children, I will make certain that every student has access to high level curriculum in a safe school environment.”

Madison’s search for a new superintendent was necessitated by the retirement of Dr. Tim Ham. Dr. Ham has shepherded a district with a rich history of academic excellence to new pinnacles of performance over the past seven years. Dr. Ham and the leadership team he assembled have led Madison to become the only elementary school district in Phoenix to receive an “A” Label from the Arizona Department of Education, the first elementary school district in Arizona to be internationally accredited by AdvancED, “the best performing elementary district in Phoenix” as described by the Arizona Republic, and attract the highest percentage of Open Enrollment students in the state (approximately 45%). When asked about the Governing Board’s selection of Dr. Kellis, Dr. Ham said, “I’ve known Quinn for years and worked beside him at the ASA [Arizona School Administrators]. His core values match Madison, and he is the right person to work with the Governing Board and leadership team to continue to move forward the initiatives and programs that Madison has leveraged to achieve its current success.”

At the Madison Governing Board Meeting, Board President Robin Stamp lauded the selection of Dr. Kellis, saying, “Dr. Ham leaves some big shoes to fill, but this board has confidence that Dr. Kellis is the right man to fill those shoes. He’ll help ensure the execution of Madison’s strategic plan and ensure the district’s ongoing academic excellence.” Dr. Kellis’ broad range of experience has prepared him for this challenge. His classroom teaching and principal experience coupled with districtwide leadership spanning everything from accountability and technology to curriculum and instruction have left him with an understanding of all areas of district operations. Dr. Kellis will also have the advantage of partnering with Dr. Ham for a transition period over the next three months.

Dr. Kellis will be the Superintendent of Madison Schools effective July 1, 2014. Those interested in Madison Schools can find out more at MadisonAZ.org. Questions can be directed to Jay Mann, Madison’s Director for Communications, at jmann@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.