A month after she was fired by the school board, Hillsborough County Schools superintendent MaryEllen Elia continues to rack up awards.
On Friday, Elia won the 2015 Women in Leadership Award from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).
The award honors the talent, creativity, and vision of outstanding women educational administrators in the nation's public schools. Candidates are judged by their leadership for learning, communication skills, professionalism, and for promoting community involvement.
Elia, the first female superintendent to oversee Hillsborough County Public Schools, said this award is particularly meaningful to her.
“It means a lot to me," Elia said. "My mentors have been strong women in education. Beth Shields (former Hillsborough County school administrator) gave me my first job in Hillsborough County schools, and she became one of the first women to break into the leadership ranks in the district. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to her and others who have mentored me and inspired me over the years."
Also a finalist for AASA’S 2015 Superintendent of the Year, Elia lost to Philip Lanoue, superintendent of the Clarke County School District in Atlanta, Ga.
Last month, the board voted 4-3 to terminate Elia's contract, despite Elia being recently named Florida’s Superintendent of the Year. The district received about 300 emails in response to Elia's termination, many of them disgusted with the board's decision.
Hillsborough County is home to the nation's eighth-largest school district. It has 206,000 students and 27,000 employees. School board members are hoping to hire someone by July 1.
Elia, 66, has been with the district since 1986 and superintendent since 2005. Her last day will be March 5.