Release
DURANT – The Oklahoma Association of School Administrators (OASA) is pleased to announce Duane Merideth of Durant Public Schools as the 2019 OASA District 17 Superintendent of the Year. Mr. Merideth will be recognized at the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) Summer Leadership Conference this June and is also eligible to submit an application for the State Superintendent of the Year that will be awarded in May.
Education presented by Workout Anytime
OASA annually recognizes outstanding administrators who:
- demonstrate successful experience in top level educational administration
- have a sound, dynamic and realistic philosophy of education
- can inspire and motivate people and give support and recognition for the contributions of others
- have a record which evidences continued professional and personal growth through appropriate training and experiences including skills in human relations and the stamina to cope with the pressures of the job,
- have the ability to speak for education on all levels with special emphasis on the district level
- have made contributions to educational administration
“Naming Administrator of the Year is one of my favorite times of the year to recognize outstanding school superintendents,” said Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director. “I’m reminded again and again about the incredible people working in our state to make public education better. Duane Merideth is among some of the best Oklahoma administrators. We’re so proud to recognize the efforts of Mr. Merideth to build better schools and exceptional learning experiences for students.”
OASA has 20 Districts that consists of multiple counties. Eligible OASA members are nominated and selected by their peers in their OASA District.
Mr. Merideth began his public school teaching career 35 years ago in Sherman, Texas, before coming to Oklahoma as the Durant Middle School assistant principal in 1992. After serving as principal of various campuses in Durant and assistant superintendent for 14 years, he became the Durant Superintendent of Schools in 2014. In the 5 years he has served as superintendent, the school district has experienced tremendous growth aided by overwhelming community support for the school system in bond elections. Some of the highlights of his tenure as Durant Superintendent of Schools include: the creation of a state of the art early childhood center, the launch of a district professional development center, and multiple expansions of classroom space, athletic facilities, and extracurricular programs.
“I am extremely humbled to be recognized by my colleagues as the District 17 Superintendent,” Merideth said. “One of our mottos in Durant is ‘One Team, One Family’. This honor is one I share with the entire Durant school team and community. It takes everyone in a community to have a successful school system, and I am blessed to be a leader of a district that has shown unwavering support for our schools. I could not be more proud of the Durant community, parents, teachers, and, most importantly, the students.” 
Visit the CCOSA websiteto see past Administrator of the Year awardees. For more information about OASA and CCOSA, please visit www.ccosa.org.