The Simmons School welcomes Highland Park Independent School District Superintendent Dawson Orr, Ph.D., to the Department of Education Policy and Leadership, where he will serve as clinical professor and chair beginning this fall. He retires from HPISD in August.
Orr brings 25 years of experience as a superintendent that includes oversight of Pampa and Wichita Falls school districts in Texas, and the American School of Laguna Verde in Veracruz, Mexico.
“Dawson Orr’s practical experience and outstanding professional credentials will be helpful to our department as we move forward with research and best practices to prepare future school leaders,” says Dean David J. Chard. “During a comprehensive search for a candidate with expertise in school district leadership and administration, we were pleased to learn of Dr. Orr’s interest, leading to our discussions and his appointment to this important position.”
Orr, who has served on the department’s advisory board, succeeds Lee Alvoid, Ph.D., current chair.