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About 20 new superintendents are starting in districts across Arizona this coming school year. Before students return, these superintendents are connecting with veteran school leaders, getting training and mentorship.
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It’s through the Superintendents’ Collaborative Network, in partnership with the Arizona School Administrators (ASA) Association as well as Grand Canyon University. This year, ASA executive director Paul Tighe said they have 19 new superintendents in this year’s cohort, which is lower than in prior years.
“It really takes a team effort, and it’s a tough job. It really is imperative for superintendents to collaborate with other superintendents to be proactive to be successful, but also to know what to do when you’re in a tough situation,” Tighe said.
The new superintendents are paired with others who have been in the position for years. The group meets several times a year, but mentors and mentees can be in constant communication.
Bridget Duzy is one of the new superintendents, taking on the new role for the Liberty Elementary School District. She told ABC15 she’s going into her 29th year in the industry.
“My mom always used to say, ‘You need to do the most good with your talent and skills.’ Every opportunity I’ve had in education, I reflected and think, am I doing the most good with what I’m good at,” Duzy said.
Duzy is the district’s fourth superintendent in four years. The West Valley district has seen some turmoil amongst its leaders. However, that doesn’t faze her.
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“What I saw is a community that needed a healer of culture, a steward of finance, and someone to come in and create that stability and really provide the best opportunity for the students,” she told ABC15.
Among superintendent turnover, Arizona is currently ranked lower than the national average, according to the Superintendent Lab, a data hub about superintendency across the country founded by Rachel White, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
White says between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school year, Arizona’s superintendent turnover rate was 15.7%, slightly lower than the national rate of 16.7%. Turnover is also higher in Arizona’s suburban districts compared to rural districts, according to White.
Constant change in a district’s leadership can be concerning, as it can disrupt student learning.
“If a superintendent comes in and they have a new initiative that they want to start, what that district has continued to experience is every two or three years, there’s a new thing that they’re going to be doing,” White said.
As the 2026-27 school year is about to begin, Duzy and other new superintendents are learning from each other and their veteran mentors, hoping to create change for years to come.
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