Tuscaloosa School Leaders Praise Retiring Superintendent as Search for Successor Begins

Leaders in Tuscaloosa's city school system had nothing but praise for outgoing superintendent Mike Daira as he prepares to retire, and said the search for his successor is officially underway.

As the Thread has previously reported, Daria announced plans this summer to retire after a decade leading Tuscaloosa City Schools as its superintendent. His plan is to step down at the end of this academic year on June 30th, 2026.

With the calendar year almost over and much work to be done to find his replacement, TCS announced Monday that it has begun actively looking for the right person to fill his shoes.

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The position is open now, and applications will be accepted through January 16th.

The city's board of education will take applications for 45 days, and candidate interviews are scheduled for January 26 - 30. On Monday, TCS said the board expects to name the next superintendent on February 2nd, with the new hire beginning in early May.

Additional information, including application instructions and a search brochure, is available from TCS here.

As Daria retires, he draws high praise from board chairman Eric Wilson and others, who note the sharp increase in third-grade reading proficiency under his tenure and the district's all-time high results on state report cards this year. 

“Finding the right superintendent is one of the most important responsibilities we have as a Board,” Wilson said. “Over the last eight years under Dr. Mike Daria, our system has made tremendous progress. We are committed to selecting a leader who can build on that success, support our students and staff, and guide TCS into its next chapter with integrity and vision.”

In a meeting before Thanksgiving to celebrate those high report card scores, Wilson and other TCS leaders said Daria helped transform the school district and lead it through the tough waters of the COVID era.

"It goes without saying that we've got amazing principals and amazing teachers but you don't get here on the course we have charted over the last eight or nine years without a leader like Dr. Daria. I mean, you just don't," Wilson said. "It's impossible to get here without a leader whose vision permeates every meeting, every school, everybody on his team. He demands excellence from everyone, and it shows. It would be foolish of us or naive to think that we didn't get here, in a large part, because of his leadership, his dedication, his love, and his vision."

"He's a great superintendent. Now, we will get it, too, but I love him like a brother and he has taught all of us at this table so much about life and growth," board member Erica Grant said. "So the next superintendent, they'll have to come on with it. Nothing mediocre, period."

For more coverage of TCS and other news about local education, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.