Putnam County School District Superintendent Rick Surrency is a passionate leader who believes in the immense power of education to transform lives. He is committed to improving STEM education and removing any obstacles so every student can pursue their goals. In this week’s episode, Superintendent Rick Surrency joins host Sandhya Padala, to discuss how he’s helping to expand CS education for students in K-12 and his plans to create more opportunities that will benefit their futures.
With more than 40 years of experience in education, working with students has been Surrency’s life’s work. He is currently serving a second term as Superintendent of the Putnam County School District in central Florida, after being re-elected in 2020. Surrency has demonstrated steadfast leadership that has resulted in a major improvement in academic performance in the Putnam Country school district – helping more students find their way to the finish line. During his first term as superintendent, graduation rates in the county surged to 90%, representing one of the highest growth rates in the state. Now, his goal is to increase computer science education and make it available to every student interested in learning this important field of study. Through the strong, positive relationships he has build, Surrency has formed partnerships with the Florida Department of Education, Code.org and Microsoft to provide students in the county with a high-quality education in computer science.
Superintendent Rick Surrency is always seizing opportunities to grow. In fact, he’s traveling to the nation of Finland to learn about the school systems and best practices for teaching and learning. This above-and-beyond attitude proves why he continues to deliver high achievement results. And there’s no doubt that students will continue thrive under his leadership.
