Heather Petruzzini to lead Georgetown ISD as Chief Academic Officer
The Georgetown Independent School District named Heather Petruzzini as the new Chief Academic Officer during the June 16 board meeting. Petruzzini has been serving in Austin ISD since 2016 as elementary assistant principal, principal, director of academics, special assistant to the superintendent, and most recently as the executive director of academics, where she led cross-functional initiatives to align instructional programs, professional learning, and assessment systems to district priorities. Additionally, Petruzzini designed and launched the Early Learning Initiative to create seamless readiness pathways from Pre-K3 through Grade 2 and facilitated the development of a 5-year plan for advanced math performance.
Petruzzini has more than 20 years of educational experience in both Virginia and Texas. She began her career as an elementary teacher in Fairfax County, VA and later served as an instructional coach. She has a bachelor’s degree in art from Auburn University, a master’s degree in elementary education from Marymount University and is nearing completion of her doctoral degree in educational leadership from The University of Texas at Austin.
“I am excited we found someone with the qualities and experiences that Heather brings to the table,” said Superintendent Devin Padavil. “Dr. Sonja Howard did a great job in this role as Chief Academic Officer and leaves big shoes to fill. Ms. Petruzzini fills those shoes well and has what it takes to lead academics in Georgetown to the next level. Her experience as a successful Title I elementary principal and district leader will help her hit the ground running.”
In her new role, Heather will be responsible for leading the Teaching and Learning team to:
develop and support systems to build a culture of literacy throughout Georgetown ISD;
develop and facilitate systems to advance student learning, GISD Learner Profile growth, and engagement;
create systems and processes to align resources to district goals and strategic priorities;
work directly with district leaders to advance the work of the GISD Strategic Direction Balanced Scorecard work;
use district student achievement results to improve strategies, processes, and outcomes of the teaching/learning process;
utilize knowledge of curriculum content and the curriculum development process to grow educator skills to create high-quality learning experiences for students.
Heather is the proud mom to Evan (14), wife to Mark, and dog mom to Honey (9). She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and looks forward to serving Georgetown ISD students, staff, and community. She will assume her new role on July 7.
