University Place's Patti Banks Named State Superintendent of the Year

Patti Banks has something extra to be thankful for this year.

Banks, the superintendent of the University Place School District has been named the 2012 Washington State Superintendent of the Year. She has been in that role since 1999.

“It means a lot,” she said. “It recognizes the work of the people in the district and the community that supports the schools – that’s the key to it."

The Washington Association of School Administrators selected Banks from a field of leaders in 295 public school districts across the state, citing, among other things, her success at reducing the achievement gap in the suburban school district of 5,000 students.

University Place’s rate of low-income students has doubled from 18 percent when Banks took over 12 years ago, to 36 percent now. Regardless, the district’s middle-grades math test scores have improved across the board, and SAT scores now surpass both state and national averages, the association said.

"In these really tough budget times, it’s tough to focus on students," Banks said, "but we have really improved our results, and that’s the most important thing to me.”

Banks was nominated by Ray Tennison, past president of the Simpson Investment Company and the former chairman of the University of Washington - Tacoma Advisory Board. Banks has been a part-time lecturer at the school since 2003.

“The result of her work is dramatically improved outcomes, across the system over time,” Tennison wrote in his nomination letter, which also lauded her unwavering commitment to improve student achievement by expanding student opportunities to learn, providing a rigorous curriculum and fostering high-quality instruction.

Fourteen of her past students from UW’s Educational Administrator program praised Banks in their own nomination letter.

“Patti is an intelligent and motivating leader who champions the equality and betterment of all school children,” the principals and other school leaders wrote. “She persistently searches for ways to remove inequities and to provide opportunities for disadvantaged students. She explicitly challenges her UWT students to do the same.”

Banks said that she found out she had won in late October, but that it was kept quiet until last week’s WASA meeting in Bellevue. Since the news of her win became public, she has received praise from all corners of the district.

“Everyone is glad to see the recognition for the district,” she said. “That is the most important thing. It’s not individual – everyone in the district is working hard.”

Banks will represent Washington state in the National Superintendent of the Year Program sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators. The national award-winner will be announced in February.