Houston, TX. – Alief Independent School District’s new superintendent Dr. Anthony Mays has been an educator for more than 20 years.
Mays is a classroom teacher, principal, and administrator who’s worked in school districts across Texas.
He says he’s made education his life’s work and that he is passionate about the opportunities it provides.
“Alief and the community have done an excellent job of investing in our schools and investing in our system,” Mays said.
Dr. Mays has been on a “listening tour” since arriving in the Alief community in December from Austin ISD.
He’s been getting to meet as many families, students, and stakeholders as possible.
As the first African-American man to lead the district, Mays said he recognizes the gravity of holding this position. “I’m always mindful of the impact that can have to students who look like me and seem as a model,” Mays said.
With its emerging and growing bi-lingual population, Mays is beyond proud of the district’s diversity and the unique opportunities it creates for students.
“Our students get exposed to a lot of different perspectives, a lot of different lived experiences as they sit in classrooms and talk with one another,” Mays said. But the district, like so many others, is faced with dwindling enrollment.
Alief ISD now serves over 41,000 students which is 5,000 fewer from where they used to be.
It’s a challenge Mays said he’ll meet head-on.
“We want to get back to that 46,000 number because it allows us to do great programming for our students as well as meeting the needs of our educators within the system,” Mays said.