2024 Leadership Award Recipient | Tom Kearney

Tom Kearney, Superintendent and Principal at New Heights School in Stillwater, has spent nearly three decades developing and nurturing a genuine, supportive school community that fosters strong, lasting relationships and elevates his board, staff, and students to make the most of the opportunities before them. He possesses a strong understanding of charter law, policy development, and programmatic evaluation, which he uses to educate and empower the school’s board to make informed decisions to improve the school and service toward its students. As the school has served multiple generations of families, Tom has expressed patience and respect towards all who walk through its doors, responding to student and staff needs with care. Tom’s leadership and guidance is also seen and felt in the broader community, as he’s worked with other charter schools to develop more cohesive school communities and works with higher ed institutions to ensure their coursework addresses the specific need and knowledge needed to run a charter school.