SIATech Board Declares July 1 as Linda Dawson Day
SIATech announces the retirement of long-time Superintendent / CEO Dr. Linda Dawson as of June 30, 2020. Dr. Dawson is replaced by Dr. Terrance Mims.
Linda Dawson joined SIATech in 2000 and was named Superintendent / CEO in 2004. There were many accomplishments while she was at the helm for the past 16 years, including 17,000 graduates.
Dr. Dawson’s consistent passion for at-promise students and for ending the cycle of poverty were pivotal to SIATech’s success. Linda honored the impactful role of the teacher and always emphasized the need to attract and retain quality staff through professional development. She was a pioneer who drove the formation of the mission, vision, and values of SIATech, which endure and likely will continue to endure for many years. Linda quietly coined the terms “Real Learning for Real Life” and advocated for the term “at-promise.”
Dr. Dawson presented the ideas for an association of like-minded groups which grew and eventually turned into a separate nonprofit organization, the Reaching At-Promise Students Association (RAPSA). The annual conferences brought together the brightest minds to impart wisdom to SIATech staff and provide networking opportunities for staff to coalesce with similar schools and organizations. Linda also helped develop the NEWCorp and MYcroSchool network of services and schools which help students outside of California.
When the economic recession of 2008 hit, Linda was a visionary who emphasized the need for SIATech to diversify to create schools beyond the traditional classroom-based setting. Linda rightly envisioned independent study as a model for at-promise students, who are often “earner learners” and caregivers who cannot attend traditional school hours, to be able to complete high school and find success. These programs now serve and graduate hundreds of students each year.
Additional Accomplishments
- 17,000 Graduates 2000 – Present
- Job Corps Partnership 2000 – Present
- Distributed Servant Leadership 2000 – Present
- 47605.1 Adoption (Ed Code) 2002
- Fidelity to Mission 2004 – Present
- Franklin Covey Adoption 2004 – Present
- Creation of RAPSA 2007
- Independent Study/ Blended Learning 2011
- OYA Partnership (SCCOE) 2012
- Creation of Virtual Team 2014
- CTE Focus on High GrowthCareers 2015 – Present
- NEWCorp/SIATech Redefinition 2016 – Present
- I.S. sites adjacent to ALL JC’s 2017
- One- year Graduation Cohort 2018
- At-Risk to At-Promise inEd Code 2019
- Survival! Thriving On-going...
- Managed Crisis
- GPA/SIATech Lawsuit 2004-07
- Great Recession 2008-10
- FCC / E-Rate Suit 2009
- Job Corps OBS Loss 2012
- COVID-19 Pandemic 2020
Linda was a humble yet charismatic leader who was greatly admired. The SIATech Board declared July 1 as Linda Dawson Day in honor of her leadership and prestigious career. While Dr. Dawson will be missed by the organization, there is confidence in the new leadership of Dr. Terrance Mims.
