• Baylor alum in the running for Texas State Superintendent of the Year

    Dr. David Edison

    Earlier this summer, Dr. David Edison (BSED ’00, MSED ’03) — head of Aquilla Independent School District, about 30 minutes north of Waco — was named the 2020 Region 12 Superintendent of the Year and nominated for the Texas State Superintendent of the Year.

    The honor is impressive, but it’s how this two-time Baylor alum got to this point that’s the real story.

    Edison and his two brothers grew up in a single-parent home. Though his mother never graduated from high school (much less attended college), she dedicated her life to raising the three Edison boys, and she insisted they go to college. Sadly, she died when David was only 16 — but it didn’t deter his (and his brothers’) ambition to be well educated.

    Both of David’s older brothers graduated from Baylor: Dr. Brian Turner (BSED ’88) and Dr. Ricky Edison (BSED ’96). However, David tried to be different — as the youngest sibling often does — and headed to Texas A&M for his freshman year. It didn’t take long for him to realize he belonged at Baylor after all.

    “Baylor is home for all of us, and we couldn’t have done it without her,” says Edison. Today, a memorial paver outside McLane Stadium reads: “We’re Doctors! Thanks Mom! Love, Brian, Ricky & David.”

    After earning his bachelor’s in political science and speech communication from Baylor in 2000, David began his teaching career at nearby La Vega ISD, and earned his master’s in educational administration from Baylor in 2003. He worked as a teacher and coach until 2005, when Aquilla ISD hired him as a high school principal. During this time, Aquilla High School was honored as one of America’s best high schools by U.S. News.

    “Aquilla ISD has been a blessing,” says Edison. “They took a chance on me when I was young and continue to support my leadership 15 years later.”

    Edison eventually added a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Tarleton State, and he was named superintendent at Aquilla ISD in 2010. In this role, Edison has led his district in a successful bond election and completed a three-phase building project that included a new gymnasium, building and safety renovations, and an agricultural complex. Most recently, the district received an “A” accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency in 2019.

    “David has demonstrated that he is a man of high integrity,” says David Snipes, president of the Aquilla ISD board of trustees. “He always puts the best interest of students in all he does. We have seen many superintendents pass through Aquilla ISD’s halls, but never one as dedicated to his school district as Dr. Edison. He took us from good to great.”

    Moving forward, Edison hopes to work for the Texas Education Agency and, one day, return to Baylor to teach future educators. “Baylor is where I received my passion for this profession, and it is where I would like to end my educational career,” says Edison.

    Sic ’em, Dr. Edison!