Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award
The Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award honors 萝莉网members who have advanced the status of women and minorities in education.
Honorees have exemplified leadership in educational equity.
Dr. Jones was a school administrator, teacher, counselor, organizer of the Office of Minority Affairs at 萝莉网and a champion of women and minorities in educational leadership. Equity and opportunity were the hallmark of her life work and closing the academic, health and social gap between the children who have and those who don鈥檛 was one of the cardinal intents of her rigorous efforts to increase the numbers of women and minority school system leaders.
She created both a space where minority and women educators could be nurtured, supported, mentored, challenged and where the differing needs of children could be addressed. Because of her commitment to equity and excellence, the field of school leadership is richer, more complex, and more accessible to a wide range of qualified educators and AASA鈥檚 focus on vulnerable children and youth is sharp and unrelenting.
The award is open to any current 萝莉网member who meets the criteria.
Applicants must demonstrate commitment to the advancement and mentorship of women and minorities in positions of leadership and/or to address social justice issues among children, youth and adults in schools.
Each candidate is judged on the following criteria:
Equity
- Organizes and facilitates networks and enterprises to ensure equity and access for women and people of color in education or on behalf of disadvantaged children
- Demonstrates courageous leadership in addressing social justice issues among children and adults with unwavering persistence
Support
- Provides leadership development through coaching, mentoring, modeling and networking
- Promotes innovative structures to achieve goals of equity and excellence
Mentoring
- Shares generously of own knowledge, skills and resources to promote women and people of color in education and to address equity issues among children
Results
- Assists in the successful advancement of women and people of color in education and/or in addressing the achievement gap among children
Any individual may nominate another individual for this award assuming the nominee meets the criteria in the eligibility section.
Self-nominations are not accepted.
Nominations were due October 31, 2024 via the online nomination form.
What needs to be included on the nomination form?
- Basic nominee and nominator contact information
- Explanations and examples of how the nominee meets each of the eligibility criteria within the areas of equity, support, mentoring and results
- Three (3) letters of support
All nominations are reviewed and judged by an independent committee external to AASA.
This award is presented annually at the 萝莉网National Conference on Education.
Honorees must be present at the ceremony.
Congratulations to the 2025
Effie H. Jones Humanatarian award Winners
Nettie Collins-Hart
Hazelwood School District (Mo.) Public Schools
Since becoming superintendent of the Hazelwood School District in 2016, Dr. Collins-Hart has created academic acceleration models in five thematic schools, led the opening of a school-based health center, facilitated the development and implementation of the Hazelwood NOW Strategic Plan, expanded early childhood education opportunities districtwide, balanced the $250M budget, and successfully advocated for compensation increases across all employee groups. Her current innovative efforts include collaborating with state agencies and local organizations to design and implement equity measures for school districts statewide.
Dr. Collins-Hart was a teacher for nine years. She also has experience as an assistant principal, principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent, and college professor. For over 16 years, Dr. Collins-Hart has led school district systems in the capacity of the superintendent. Prior to serving as superintendent of Hazelwood, she led Proviso Township High School District 209 in Forest Park, Illinois. In the 5,000 student district, student performance increased on the ACT and in reading and math. During her tenure, graduating seniors in Hazelwood have earned more than $188M in scholarships and volunteered over 200,000 community service hours. Hazelwood School District has an annual operating budget of $250M that supports 2,950 staff who serve over 16,000 students representing over 60 countries and nearly 40 languages in North St. Louis County, Missouri.
Dr. Collins-Hart has received numerous honors for her leadership in education and work in the community. She was named the National Association of School Superintendents鈥� 2019 Superintendent of the Year. She was awarded the Apple for the Teacher Award from Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., the education award from North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Leadership Award, the Ida B. Wells Risk Taker Award from the National Alliance of Black School Educators, the Top Ladies of Distinction 2014 Women in Leadership Orchid Award, the Outstanding Administrator Award for the 7th Congressional District of Illinois, and the 2024 Impact Award.
In addition to these accomplishments, Dr. Collins-Hart also serves on the Valley Industries Board, Christian Hospital Board, North County Incorporated Executive Board, Missouri State High School Activities Association Executive Board, and is a lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She is affiliated with several other professional and civic organizations, including the National Association of School Superintendents, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Black School Educators, Kiwanis Club in Florissant, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She formerly served on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner鈥檚 Advisory Council and Greater North County Chamber of Commerce Board.
Dr. Collins-Hart earned a doctorate in educational policy and leadership from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. She has a certification in curriculum and instruction as well as two master鈥檚 degrees from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina; her master鈥檚 degrees are in educational administration and English education. Dr. Collins-Hart鈥檚 bachelor鈥檚 degree in English education was earned from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Alexandra Estrella
Superintendent, Norwalk Public Schools (Conn.)
Dr. Estrella, a first-generation Latina-American, is a visionary leader with over 27 years of experience in education. As Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools (NPS) for the past three years, she has championed educational equity, creating opportunities for students and fostering diverse leadership within the profession.
A staunch advocate for systemic change, Dr. Estrella is committed to eliminating barriers that limit student potential. Her leadership focuses on addressing disproportionalities in data and embedding equity, excellence, and inclusion across the district. In 2021, she introduced the role of Deputy Superintendent of Excellence, Equity, and Inclusion to drive these efforts. Under her guidance, the district has implemented multi-year professional learning workshops for the School Board, administrators, and staff to advance equity and inclusion.
Dr. Estrella鈥檚 dedication extends to creating opportunities for women and people of color in education leadership. Through mentorship and advocacy, she uplifts diverse voices, modeling equity and excellence for future leaders.
Her work is grounded in the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their dreams, and her passion for equity reflects both a professional commitment and a personal mission.
Outside of her professional life, Dr. Estrella finds inspiration in her family. As a mother and grandmother, she brings the same care and determination to her work, striving to build a brighter future for all students.
Past Honorees
2024:
- Francisco Dur谩n, Superintendent, Arlington (Va.) Public Schools
- Alena Zachery-Ross, Superintendent, Ypsilanti (Mich.) Community School
Read more from the 2024 press release.
2023:
- Avis Williams, Superintendent, NOLA Public Schools (La.)
- Brenda Elliot, Chief, Office of School Improvements and Supports, District of Columbia Public Schools (D.C.)
2022:
- Sharon Adams-Taylor, former 萝莉网associate executive director
- Luvelle Brown, superintendent, Ithaca City School District (N.Y.)
2021:
- Lillie Cox, executive director, North Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (NCASCD), Charlotte, N.C.; executive director, Piedmont Triad Education Consortium (PTEC)
- Baron Davis, superintendent, Richland School District Two, Columbia, S.C.
- Lillian Torrez, superintendent, Taos Municipal School District, Taos, N.M.
2020:
- Steven T. Webb, superintendent, Vancouver Public Schools, Wash.
- Joe A. Hairston, former associate professor at Howard University and co-founder of the AASA/Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy
2019:
- Wanda Cook-Robinson, superintendent, Oakland Schools, Waterford, Mich.
- Traci Davis, superintendent, Washoe County School District, Reno, Nev.
- Karl V. Hertz, retired superintendent, Mequon-Thiensville School District, Mequon, Wis.; 萝莉网president, 1997-98
2018:
- Martha James-Hassan, school board commissioner, Baltimore City Public Schools and an assistant professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md.
- Dennis O鈥橦ara, superintendent, Hauppauge Public Schools, Hauppauge, N.Y.
- Valeria S. Silva, educational consultant and former superintendent, St. Paul Schools, St. Paul, Minn.
2017:
- John B. King Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Education
2016:
- Elizabeth Ann Sanders
2015:
- LaRuth Gray, retired superintendent, Westchester County, N.Y. and Scholar in Residence at New York University鈥檚 Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development鈥檚 Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools
2014:
- Margaret Grogan, professor of education in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University in California
- Caroline Hunter, former chemist and a retired school administrator in Cambridge, Mass.
- Jos茅 Torres, superintendent, Elgin U-46 School District (ill.)
2013:
- Concetta Raimondi, superintendent, Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, Indianapolis, Indiana
2012:
- Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Senior Lecturer at Harvard University鈥檚 Graduate School of Education (HGSE)
- Sheila Harrison-Williams, superintendent, Hazel Crest School District (Ill.)
- Constance R. Collins, superintendent in Round Lake District 116 in (Ill.)
- Constance R. Clark-Snead, superintendent, Westbury Union Free School District (N.Y.)
2011:
- Arlene C. Ackerman, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia (Pa.)
- Diane E. Reed, associate professor and co-director of the Educational Leadership Program at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y
2010:
- Barbara DeHart, professor in the school of educational studies and director of the urban leadership doctoral program at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif.
- Barbara L. Jackson, professor emerita, Fordham University, N.Y.
- Judith Johnson, superintendent, Peekskill City School District, N.Y.
- Dianne Boardley Sube, first woman president of Saint Augustine鈥檚 College in Raleigh, N.C
2009:
- Lois Harrison-Jones, past-president of the National Alliance of Black School Educators
- Sarah D. Jerome, superintendent, Arlington Heights School District 25 (Ill.)
- Wilfredo T. Laboy, superintendent of Schools in Lawrence, Mass.
- Charol Shakeshaft is professor and chair of the Department of Education Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.
2008:
- Randall Collins, superintendent, Waterford, Conn.
- Terry B. Grier, superintendent, Guilford County School district, Greensboro, NC
- Frances Jones, executive director of the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium.
- Helen C. Sobehart, associate provost/associate academic vice president at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Penn.
2007:
- Benjamin Canada, associate executive director of district services for the Texas Association of School Boards
- Arthur Stellar, superintendent, Taunton Public Schools, Mass.
2006:
- Joyce A. Dana, assistant professor at St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo.
- Beverly L. Hall, superintendent in Atlanta, Ga.
- Michael Kremer, superintendent in Hopkins, Minn.
- Robert S. Peterkin, director of the Urban Superintendents Program at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
- Chris L. Wright, superintendent in Florissant, Mo.
2005:
- Rosa A. Smith, president and CEO of the Schott Foundation
2004:
- Janet Baker, superintendent in Hamilton, Ohio
- Michael L. Johnson, superintendent of Bexley City Schools, Ohio
- I. Sue Shepard, interim dean of education at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
