Steven Holmes is an accomplished administrator in the Tucson area with 20 years of successful service in public education. Mr. Holmes has a proven ability to strategically manage and implement large scale systemic efforts through strong collaborations with administrators, teachers, staff and the educational community. Most recently as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in the Tucson Unified School District, Mr. Holmes led a large sub-committee of over fifty community members, teacher leaders, administrators, and parents through the development of annual goals and strategies to support the District’s teaching and learning vision in the areas of: Curriculum, Instruction, Professional Development, Data, and Assessment. Mr. Holmes’ work marks the first time in over a decade that a long-term plan for TUSD in this key area has been developed and executed.
Steven Holmes is an alumnus of the Sunnyside School District who attended public schools kindergarten through grade 12 and is a former Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in that District. Committed to the transformation of school to create learning environments that prepare all students for the 21st Century, Mr. Holmes worked vigorously to ensure that access to technology for students and the integration of technological tools in the classroom became a common expectation for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning every day in every classroom. This innovative work placed Sunnyside on the national forefront of districts attempting in integrate technology at scale.
Additionally, Mr. Holmes has been a teacher at all levels from Elementary through Junior College and has served as a site administrator at the Middle and Elementary School levels. These experiences have shaped his broad understanding of the urban K-12 Public School System and expertise in providing proper and successful guidance to school leaders in the critical area of school improvement.
As a champion for equity, Steven Holmes has built a reputation for being a strong advocate for ensuring equitable services for English Language Learners. He has served as a key witness on behalf of the plaintiffs in the high profile Flores vs. Arizona Case, facilitated on an educational panel for the National Congressional Hispanic Caucus Conference where he spoke on policy implications for English Language Learners in relation to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and shared best practices for providing meaningful access to Limited English Proficient families on behalf of the Office of Civil Rights at a national language conference.
Mr. Holmes holds a Masters Degree in Administration and Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University where he was a member of the Urban Superintendents Program (USP). USP has been rated as one of the premier leadership doctoral programs in the nation. He also holds a Masters Degree in Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Arizona.
Mr. Holmes resides in Tucson and shares his passion for education with his wife Vanesa, and sons Christian and Sebastian who are both in first grade.