ALAS Announces 2025–26 Award Winners

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/02/25

The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) recently announced the winners of its 2025–26 leadership awards, according to a news release. Winners will be recognized at the ALAS 22nd National Summit on Education, scheduled for Oct. 15–17 in Chicago, Ill. The program traditionally recognizes four individuals and an ALAS affiliate for their advocacy and leadership regarding issues in education specifically impacting Latino students.

The ALAS Superintendent of the Year is Rosa Diaz, from Carteret Public Schools in New Jersey. According to the news release, recent accomplishments include raising graduation rates, gaining $37 million in funding for the district’s first new junior-high school in more than 60 years, creating a $10-million early childhood center, and expanding student access to dual enrollment and AP classes. Diaz is also the founder and Vice President of the New Jersey Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (NJALAS), as well as the Vice President of the Middlesex County Association of School Administrators (MCASA).

The ALAS Principal of the Year is Pierre Orbe of DeWitt Clinton High School in New York. Orbe’s led the school through a rebound that raised graduation rates from less than 46 percent to over 97 percent—including an increase among Latino graduates from 38 to 95 percent, and English Language Learners from 22 to 95 percent. He has also created new programs in nursing, business, computer science, and certification pathways for tattooing and real estate.

The ALAS Central Office Administrator of the Year is Dr. Lynmara Colón, from Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia. Colón has received national acclaim for her work as an educational leader and advocate. She has been named one of the “20 to Watch” by the National School Boards Association and is the author of “Empower our Girls.” She currently leads Prince William County Public Schools’ Student Opportunity and Multilingual Services Department.

The ALAS Advocacy Award was given to Dr. Alelí Vázquez Santiago, from Ron Clark Academy in Georgia. She serves as the Dean of Faculty at the academy, “shaping instructional practices and delivering world-class professional development to thousands of educators from across the globe,” according to the news release. Vásquez Santiago has also been recognized by the Senate of Puerto Rico for previous advocacy for Latino students and educators.

Finally, the ALAS Affiliate of the Year is the Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (CALAS). CALAS was founded in 2015 and is the official state affiliate of ALAS. In that capacity, its contributions have included supporting Dr. Miguel Cardona in his appointment as the state’s first Latino Commissioner of Education.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

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