CHARLOTTESVILLE—Former Franklin Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Al Butler on July 1 will retire as the executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.

“Dr. Butler is recognized by superintendents across Virginia as a person who they can count on for sound wisdom and advice in their challenging work as leaders who are responsible to every employee, stakeholder, and student in their school division,” said VASS President Dr. Pamela Moran. “I can think of no other person who has helped as many educational leaders develop and advance in their careers as superintendents in the Commonwealth.”

Appointed 16 years ago, Butler has worked with superintendents and the General Assembly, which funds and supports public education. He also has worked to build a coalition of education associations representing teachers, administrators, parents, school board members and higher education.

Butler launched the Executive Coaching Program, which provided mentor expertise and coaching to novice superintendents. As a professor of educational leadership at the University of Virginia, Butler supported 84 doctoral students to complete dissertations. Seventeen of his former students are superintendents in Virginia.

Working in public education for 47 years, Butler started as a teacher in Suffolk City School district, then served as a school administrator in Virginia Beach. He then served eight years as Suffolk’s assistant superintendent and 12 years as Franklin City Schools Superintendent.