Solano County's Estrella-Henderson Named Superintendent Of Year

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — The California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators recently named Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson its 2020 superintendent of the year for Region 1, which encompasses the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Each year, the CALSA recognizes educators through its "Honoring Our Own" Regional Award Program. The professional organization looks to honor school administrators who have made significant contributions to eliminating the Latina/o/x student achievement gap and acknowledge their distinguished leadership and excellence in education.

This year, the CALSA Board of Directors specifically recognized educators for their guidance and advocacy on behalf of Latina/o/x children.

Estrella-Henderson, who is Hispanic and bilingual in English and Spanish, has been working on equity issues in Solano County for 35 years.

"I'm humbled to be recognized among this group of distinguished individuals dedicated to addressing the needs of Latina/o/x students," said Estrella-Henderson, who in addition to serving as the county's superintendent of schools is the CEO of the Solano County Office of Education.

"SCOE's mission is to promote equity and excellence by working with our school districts and community partners to create opportunities that address the needs of every student regardless of their ethnicity, the language they speak, or their economic status," Estrella-Henderson said. "Fighting racism at every level of our educational system is clearly a priority in this endeavor. Together we are making headway in closing opportunity gaps for our diverse student population and I am grateful for the privilege to serve this wonderful community."

Estrella-Henderson grew up in a military family and was raised in Solano County after her father was stationed at Travis Air Force Base.

She earned a master's degree in education from California State University, Sacramento, with a focus on bilingual cross-cultural education and curriculum and instruction. In addition to her California teaching credential, she also holds her bilingual specialist and administrative services credentials and is a certified leadership coach.

Estrella-Henderson started serving as an educator in Solano County in 1985.

She began working with the Solano County Office of Education in 2003, and has held various leadership roles at SCOE. She now serves as an elected official, supporting student equity as a primary focus for the organization.

The county superintendent of schools is an elected position and a state constitutional officer who functions as a liaison between Solano school districts, which serve approximately 64,000 students, and the state of California.

In 2017, Estrella-Henderson became the first Hispanic superintendent of schools in Solano County’s history, and only the second woman to hold the position.