TASA is pleased to announce the addition of Alton Frailey to our Superintendent-in-Residence program, which is designed to further the association’s Mission: School Transformation initiative. Through the program, recently retired superintendents serve TASA part time, assisting members across the state on matters related to fulfilling TASA’s vision as outlined in Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas.
Frailey will join three other experts in the “visioning work,” including two of his fellow co-authors of the visioning document, to help support the work of districts that are committed to school transformation, serving as an advisor to districts and school leaders. Specifically, he will support participants of the Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Network (FRSLN) and Texas Public Accountability Consortium (TPAC), and he will also be available to anyone who has an interest in the visioning work.
Alton Frailey
A former TASA president (2014-15) and AASA president (2016-17), Frailey is a well-known and highly regarded superintendent in Texas and across the nation. He was a founding member of the Public Education Visioning Institute and co-author of the TASA visioning document.
Frailey retired in 2016 from Katy ISD, where he served as superintendent for nine years. Prior to that, he was the superintendent of schools in DeSoto ISD and in Cincinnati, Ohio. His 33-year career in education also included serving as an administrator in Spring Branch ISD and as a teacher and assistant principal in Goose Creek ISD. Most recently, he served as interim superintendent of Nacogdoches ISD until spring 2020.
A Nacogdoches native, Frailey is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin University and, in 2015, was named to the board of regents, which he currently chairs. He was recognized as a Living Legend by the Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators (HAABSE) and has been honored by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) as a Distinguished Administrator, as Region 4 Superintendent of the Year, by Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals, and with the Trailblazer Award from the South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc.
In addition to his TASA and AASA service, Frailey is a former treasurer of the Texas School Alliance, former president of the Urban Superintendents Association of America and Texas Association of Suburban/Mid-Urban Schools (TAS-MUS), and former chair of the UIL Legislative Council. He served on the boards of directors for the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, Katy Area Economic Development Council, Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, West Houston Association, and The Bible Seminary.
“I am thrilled to have Alton Frailey join our TASA team,” says TASA Executive Director Kevin Brown. “I served as a TASA officer with Alton and got to see first-hand what an extraordinary leader and person he is. His presence, wisdom, and vision will help our organization and members in countless ways.”
