History

In a meeting on December 6, 1974, a group of superintendents with a representative from each region in Tennessee, gathered to discuss the formation of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS). The first item of business that day was to elect officers to serve on the first TOSS Board. On March 17, 1975, TOSS was officially chartered, marking the beginning of our organization. TOSS's mission has always been to do what is best for the children in Tennessee's public school system by offering political advocacy and professional development for district leaders. In order to increase the strength of our efforts, TOSS began establishing corporate partnerships in the early 1990's. This was a time of significant growth for the organization, during which we established TOSS as the Tennessee AASA affiliate, took on responsibility for the Tennessee Superintendent of the Year Award program, established our Annual TOSS Legislative Conference, began participation in the Department of Education's Superintendent Study Council Conference, moved into our own office space, and much more. In recent years, TOSS has continued to grow immensely. We now have 145 superintendents in our membership. Our staff has tripled in size, going from two to six full-time employees since 2013. In addition to our Superintendent Leadership Institute, our professional development program extended to include the Associate Leadership Institute in 2016. TOSS will continue to progress public education in Tennessee by addressing the needs of students and administrators.

PAST EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS