Dr. Lorraine S. Lange, Superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools, was named Virginia’s Superintendent of the Year at the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) annual conference on Tuesday evening in Roanoke. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the leaders of four Virginia education organizations selected her from among eight regional Superintendents of the Year.
Dr. Lange was recognized for providing inspiring and innovative leadership in her school district of over 14,000 students. She has significantly improved her district’s graduation rate and enrollment in more academically challenging courses despite an increase in the number of economically challenged students in Roanoke County.
While the number of students in Roanoke County receiving free and reduced lunch assistance has increased almost 10% the last few years, the number of students graduating on time has increased 1.4% and the number of students enrolled in college dual-credit courses now equals almost a quarter of the entire high school student population.
In presenting her with the Virginia Superintendent of the Year Award, VASS President Philip Worrell said, “Lorraine Lange is a tech savvy superintendent who has capitalized on technology to improve instruction and reduce the socioeconomic achievement gap in Roanoke County Schools.” He continued, “Her bold leadership investing in technology in the face of severe budget cuts has paid off in major gains for the students and staff members in Roanoke County.”
Dr. Lange has worked in Roanoke County Public Schools for more than thirty four years. She began her career with the school district in 1976 as a principal and continued to serve as a principal in three different schools until 1988. After that, she served as the county’s Assistant Director of Instruction for two years and as the Deputy and Assistant Superintendent for six years before becoming the district’s chief educational officer in 2006.
The Virginia Superintendent of the Year Selection Committee included the State Superintendent for Public Instruction, the President of the Virginia Education Association, the President of the Virginia Congress of Parents and Teachers, the President of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and the Executive Director of the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Dr. Lange was selected as the state winner from eight regional Superintendents of the Year who were chosen from the entire field of 133 superintendents in Virginia.
As Virginia’s Superintendent of the Year Dr. Lange will be eligible for the National Superintendent of the Year Award, which will be presented in Houston, Texas next February by the American Association of School Administrators.
