Dr. Susan Kincannon is retiring after serving as an educator in Central Texas for 34 years

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon is retiring after working as an educator throughout Central Texas for 34 years.

From teacher to principal to superintendent, Kincannon has seen just about it all over the years.

Kincannon was surrounded by educators after she was adopted and brought to Texas.

When she started school, Kincannon remembers each time she struggled with events in her life. She said she was inspired by teachers who were there for her.

“There were just a lot of things that were stored deep inside of me… but I had a teacher that I knew loved me, and she loved all of us, I’m sure, but I really responded to that one Love and I loved the way she made me feel and I realized that I could learn really well and that school was just a place where I could thrive,” Kincannon said.

After graduating from Copperas Cove ISD and earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor, Kincannon began teaching at Scott Elementary in Temple.

Later, after earning her master’s degree from Tarleton State, Kincannon joined Belton ISD in 2000, and after earning her doctorate from Baylor University, she became superintendent of the same district in 2011.

Kincannon says the role change was a big change for her.

“You are the leader of a system that is responsible for the lives of these children and ensuring that they receive a quality education, but you are also the leader in so many complex systems, from managing transportation to meals to Safety and the list goes on and on. “So you’re constantly juggling and keeping so many balls in the air at once,” Kincannon said.

Kincannon joined Waco ISD as superintendent in 2019 and her mission was to make schools better for students and staff.

But in her first year in her new role, the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools across the country, and Kincannon says she and her staff had to be careful and calculated in their next steps.

“One of the reasons I think we managed so successfully was that we had good communication with our leaders, had a lot of Zoom meetings, kept people updated and tried to communicate well and then get opinions.” Kincannon remembers.

Kincannon said it was a trying time, but they got through it together and returned to in-person learning in fall 2022.

As the pandemic calmed down, a new problem emerged, but this time school districts couldn’t isolate themselves from the problem.

Each year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) grades all school districts in Texas from A to F based on student performance, testing, and other factors.

In September 2023, the TEA announced that it would delay publication of the ratings to adjust how the scores are calculated.

Waco ISD was one of many school districts in Texas involved in a lawsuit arguing that the tea did not adequately inform schools and that the new results could be lower, impacting school staff’s efforts to improve across the school district would improve, undermine plank.

Kincannon took it upon herself to testify in court and advocate for her district.

“For me it was about making sure that I was getting the story right for our community and our public schools because I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’ve said… I know about accountability and testing systems and how that works.” “I’ve worked in education over the years in my 34 years and what was happening wasn’t right… the rug was just pulled out from under us and I was fighting for my schools,” Kincannon explained.

Kincannon, who went from teacher to superintendent, looks back on her career and says teachers need more support as they go through the ups and downs of their job.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure that comes with the job and that’s why teachers need ongoing support, they need the opportunity to understand their feelings, unpack them and reset,” Kincannon said.

As Kincannon bids farewell to Waco ISD and passes the baton to the next superintendent, Dr. Tiffany Spicer, gives her advice for her successor on how to be the best superintendent for your district.

“It’s really important that you don’t compare yourself too much to others and you’re just able to be yourself, and I really try to be my true self in this job,” Kincannon said.

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