History of SSASchool Superintendents of Alabama has not always been the name of the association of superintendents. In 1925 they met as two groups, an organization of County Superintendents and an organization of City Superintendents. Both groups held their annual meetings at the time of the annual meeting of the Alabama Education Association which was held in March, and both were under the AEA. They had a dinner meeting together but would hold their meetings separate. At that time, the Alabama Education Association held most of its conventions in Birmingham; except records showed they met in Montgomery in 1930, 1933, and 1939. The superintendents would meet in churches, schools and hotels. The facilities were not as good, so most of the years they were held in Birmingham, using the old municipal auditorium. The old Tutwiler Hotel was the gathering place for most members. In 1933-34, the two superintendent groups merged into one. It was called the Department of Superintendents. It retained this name for four years, and in 1937-38 it became the Alabama Association of School Administrators. The AASA would usually have its own meeting on Wednesday morning. There would be a program, and the election of officers. The officers would take office at the conclusion of the convention and would hold office until the conclusion of the next convention. The AASA would hold joint meetings with the secondary principals on Wednesday afternoon which was usually held at Phillips High School auditorium. A few years it was held in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church. The superintendents at different times would hold joint meetings with the supervisors, and one or two years would meet with the School Boards Association. There have been seven presidents of the Superintendents groups who later became State Superintendent. The first was Dr. J.A. Keller, who was superintendent of Covington County Schools. After serving as state superintendent, he was made president of Florence State College, where he served for a number of years. Dr. E.B. Norton was the second. He was also superintendent of schools in Covington County when he was President of AASA. After serving as state superintendent, he was made president of Florence State College, where he then served for a number of years. Dr. LeRoy Brown was superintendent of Anniston City Schools when he was president of AASA. He was the first appointed State Superintendent of Education. The fourth is Dr. Wayne Teague, who was superintendent of Auburn City Schools when he was appointed State Superintendent. He held the office longer than any other state superintendent in the country at that time. The fifth state superintendent who was also a president of AASA was Dr. Ed Richardson. Dr. Richardson was superintendent in Auburn City Schools when he was appointed State Superintendent, and he stepped down when asked to serve as Interim President for Auburn University. He then served as President of Auburn for several years prior to retiring. The sixth was Dr. Joe Morton, former superintendent of Sylacauga City Schools and president of AASA. Dr. Morton was the Deputy State Superintendent under Dr. Richardson, then appointed Interim State Superintendent, and served seven years as State Superintendent. The seventh is Dr. Eric Mackey, who became Alabama State Superintendent of Education in 2018. Dr. Mackey previously served as the Executive Director of the School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) from 2011-2018 and was SSA's president from 2009-2010. He was also a former superintendent of Jacksonville City Schools. Under his leadership, Alabama has focused on improving literacy rates, expanding STEM education, and enhancing workforce development initiatives to prepare students for future career success. It became customary for superintendents to serve as President for two years which began in 1944-45 due to the war and continued until 1969-70. In 1971 AASA worked with the other administrator associations to pull away from AEA and form the Alabama Council of School Administrators (ACSA). Later the name was lengthened to include school supervisors and became the Alabama Council for School Administration and Supervision (ACSAS). Then in 1998, members voted to change the umbrella association's name to the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS). In 2001 AASA completed a strategic plan and changed its dues structure that resulted in hiring the first full time executive director. Dr. Susan L Lockwood was superintendent of Eufaula City Schools for seven years when she was hired to be Executive Director of AASA on November 14, 2002. Dr. Lockwood began to implement the strategic plan, grow a staff, and provide services to the members. The goals of the strategic plan were to:
In 2004, the association separated from its umbrella organization, CLAS, and relocated to the Bailey Building at 400 S. Union St., Suite 495. Along with the move, the organization's name was changed from AASA to School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) to better represent and amplify the voice of superintendents in public policy and education budget development. In 2017, SSA purchased and renovated a building just two blocks from the state capitol, where they are currently located at 534 Adams Avenue. Since that time SSA has become a leading voice for children in our state; active in legislative work at the State House and involved in development of the k-12 education budget; has implemented an effective Executive Coaching and Training Institute for New Superintendents; provides effective staff development programs at a summer, fall, and legislative conference; and implemented a business member partnership that provides funding for the SSA lobbying efforts. |