AUGUST 2024 | DR. CHRISTINA KISHIMOTO
Voice4Equity welcomes Dr. Jaime Aquino, Superintendent of San Antonio Independent School District. During his discussion with Dr. Kishimoto, Dr. Aquino shares his magnificent journey through many roles in education around the nation and what it means to involve school leaders, board members, students, and the community in making lasting and meaningful change in education.
Enjoy the following conversation with Dr. Aquino and Dr. Kishimoto below.
The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Dr. Kishimoto
Welcome to The Stories We Must Tell. I am Dr. Christina Kishimoto and today, I have an incredible guest from San Antonio, Texas. I am so excited to have Dr. Jaime Aquino, a dear friend, a wonderful superintendent, and a change-maker nationally. Welcome, Jaime.
Dr. Aquino
Thank you, Christina, looking forward to engaging in a conversation about the state of public education. It’s always good to be in your presence.
Dr. Kishimoto
It’s always so much fun to chat with you and catch up. You and I have a long history. I know you from back in your days in New York, Hartford, Connecticut, and Denver. Obviously, San Antonio is not your first leadership gig. You have been leading across the nation. It’s been fun! Tell us a little about that.
Dr. Aquino
Yes, I’ve been blessed by the opportunities I’ve had. I always like to say I’m living the American dream. I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I did my bachelor’s there. Upon graduating, I was recruited by the New York City Board of Education as a bilingual teacher and have done almost all roles in education.
I served as an instructional superintendent in the city of New York, Deputy Superintendent in Hartford, chief academic officer in Denver, and Deputy Superintendent in LA. And now, I’m totally blessed to be a teacher of teachers in the San Antonio Independent School District. I don’t like to use the title superintendent. And people know, here, they don’t call me superintendent; they call me the teacher of teachers because it really showcases and highlights what I believe the role of a superintendent should be, which is to be a teacher of teachers.
