Crowley ISD Connections Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 13

Welcome to the Family
Trustees Name Dr. Michael McFarland as New Superintendent
Written by Anthony Kirchner
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to hire
Dr. Michael D. McFarland as the new permanent
superintendent of Crowley ISD on Aug. 31. He was
announced as lone finalist by the Board on Aug. 10 and
completed a state-mandated 21-day waiting period.
Dr. McFarland will officially assume his permanent
duties on Oct. 1. In the interim, he will spend time
learning more about Crowley ISD, its students, teachers,
staff and community. Dr. Patricia Linares will continue
serving as interim superintendent through September.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. McFarland to Crowley
ISD,” Board President June W. Davis said. “He is a
transformational leader focused on student achievement.
His success as an innovative and visionary superintendent
serving a diverse North Texas school district is exactly
what our Board and stakeholders were looking for in our
next leader.”
2015 National
Superintendent of the
Year Texas Nominee
American Association of
School Administrators
2014 National
Superintendent
of the Year
National Allliance of
Black School Educators
Dr. McFarland comes to Crowley ISD after serving
as the superintendent of Lancaster ISD since 2010. Prior
to working in Lancaster, Dr. McFarland was assistant
superintendent of achievement for Champaign public
schools in Illinois. He also has been a high school and
middle school principal in Tyler ISD and Longview ISD
and began his education career as an algebra, accounting
and computer science teacher.
Dr. McFarland has been recognized at the
national and state level for his outstanding leadership
as a school superintendent. He was selected as the
American Association of School Administrators National
Superintendent of the Year Nominee from Texas in
2015 and he was also selected as the National Alliance
for Black School Educator’s Superintendent of the Year
in 2014. In addition, the Texas Association of School
Administrators selected Dr. McFarland as one of the top
five superintendents in the state and the Texas Association
of School Boards selected him as a State Finalist for
the Texas Superintendent of the Year and as Region 10
Superintendent of the Year.

Surrounded by Crowley ISD’s Board of Trustees, Dr. McFarland
signs his superintendent contract on Aug. 31, becoming the
fourth superintendent in CISD history.
2014 Superintendent
of the Year Top Five
Finalist
Texas Association of
School Administrators
2014 Region 10
Superintendent
of the Year
Texas Association of
School Boards
“I am honored to be named superintendent in this
incredible school district,” Dr. McFarland said. “Crowley
ISD is known for creating opportunities for success for
all students, and I look forward to working with the
Cro wley ISD Board of Trustees, the educators and the
entire community to build on the tradition of success and
to ensure that we provide excellence in every school, in
every classroom, for every student, every day.”
Originally from Jasper, Texas, Dr. McFarland has
a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business
Education from Baylor University, his Master of Education
in Educational Administration and Superintendent
Certification from Stephen F. Austin State University and
a Doctorate of Education in Educational Administration
from Baylor University.
He is married to Cynthia McFarland and has two
daughters, Kharis and Michiah, and two sons, Tyler and
Jarrett.

CROWLEY ISD CONNECTIONS | Fall 2017
13