The superintendent for Arlington Independent School District (ISD) recently announced that he would retire at the end of August, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Marcelo Cavazos, 54, has served as superintendent for over 10 years.
The district said in a statement that he was a “transformational leader and tireless advocate for students.”
Cavazos said in a statement of his own that his retirement was an emotional decision, but he felt the time was right.
“I’ve seen thousands of students realize their dreams and aspirations because of the opportunities our district and community provide,” the statement reads. “I witness our teachers and staff demonstrate love for our students every day and even more during difficult times.”
Cavazos, who hails from San Benito, began his career as an English teacher in the Rio Grande Valley in 1990. He became an associate superintendent for Arlington ISD in 1999, according to The Dallas Morning News, before being chosen as superintendent in 2012.
Melody Fowler, president of the board of trustees for Arlington ISD, said Cavazos’ retirement was an “enormous loss to our community.”
“His visionary leadership has truly changed Arlington ISD for generations to come,” Fowler said.
Arlington ISD is the third-largest school district in the metroplex.
Many school district leaders have stepped down across Texas recently. According to News 4 San Antonio, three superintendents in Bexar County left their positions in 2022, and a total of 64 superintendent positions throughout the state are currently vacant.
According to a report from the RAND Corporation, one major contributor to superintendents leaving their positions is political polarization. Another is the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in light of the government shutdowns and other complications it entailed.
“Numerous accounts suggest that public school superintendents are burned out and frustrated by the accumulated stress of steering schools through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and political polarization and that they are increasingly at risk of mass attrition,” the report suggests.
