UW-Madison alumna Sharon Contreras was named one of five “administrators to watch” in 2020 by Education Dive.
Contreras received her Ph.D. from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2015.
She has served as the superintendent of the Guilford County Schools since 2016. Contreras is the first woman and the first Latina to lead Guilford, North Carolina’s third largest district.
After having her contract extended to 2022, Contreras is proposing a $2 billion facilities plan that includes renovation, rebuilding, closing, and consolidating of schools. According to Education Dive, she has stated that none of the district’s schools would be “left untouched.”
While her proposal is still in its initial stages, Contreras’ hard work is paying off in other areas. Under her leadership, the district has seen increases in state test scores in every subject at every grade level.
“The improvement suggests that the strategic investments our Board of Education has made in curriculum development, instructional materials and supplies, and ongoing professional development for our educators are paying dividends in the classroom for all students,” Contreras tells Education Dive.
Read Education Dive’s article here.