WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five members of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), the leading national membership organization for superintendents and administrators who serve predominantly Latino districts, have been appointed to school district leadership positions in Hawaii, Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Dr. Christina Kishimoto, former president of the ALAS board of directors, has been named superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education. Kishimoto has served as the superintendent for Gilbert Public Schools in Gilbert, Ariz., for three years. Prior to that, she headed up Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut. She is a passionate advocate for public school systems, student-centered educational policies, and strategic planning based on quality, standards-based goals. 

Dr. Dino Coronado, recently Area 3 superintendent with the El Paso Independent School District in Texas, has been named superintendent for the Roosevelt Elementary School District in Phoenix, Arizona. Coronado is a graduate of the ALAS Superintendents Leadership Academy (SLA), which is designed to prepare Latino school system leaders to become superintendents of U.S. school districts, with an emphasis on Hispanic-serving districts.

Dr. Shawn Bird, formerly chief academic officer with the Pasadena Unified School District in Pasadena, Calif., has been hired as the Chief Schools Officer for the School District of Philadelphia. Bird is also a graduate of the ALAS Superintendents Leadership Academy. Prior to his position in Pasadena, he served in leadership positions for the Los Angeles Unified School District and Aspire Public Schools, which serves communities in California and Tennessee.

Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez was named superintendent of Hartford Public Schools in Hartford, Conn. Torres-Rodriguez grew up in Connecticut and has held several positions in the state’s education community. Also an SLA graduate, she is known as a school transformation expert with a passion for educational equity.

Dr. Ivan Duran, previously deputy superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District, has been named superintendent of the Bellevue School District, in Bellevue, Wash. Duran, an SLA graduate, is a 26-year veteran of the public education system, also having held several leadership positions in the Colorado public school system.

“ALAS is proud to see Latino leaders achieving such noteworthy positions in the field of education,” said Dr. Nancy Lewin, ALAS executive director. “It is a testament to the depth of their abilities and dedication, as well as the strength of the ALAS network.”

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