Superintendent
Dr. Beth Cooper became the Superintendent of The University of Texas at Austin School District in 2017 after serving as the Principal of UT High School for three years. Dr. Cooper is a Texas certified Superintendent with 28+ years of experience working as an educator in Texas public schools. She moved into administrative positions at the campus, district, and regional level after teaching secondary math and social studies for 10 years. Much of her career has focused on curriculum and innovation, coaching educators, and providing support to students who don't always follow the typical path, including programs to support students pursuing advanced academics, gifted opportunities, or online learning. Under Dr. Cooper's leadership, the UT School District (UTSD) expanded to two high schools and now offers free tuition for Texas residents enrolled full-time. The UTSD team redesigned all online courses into the Canvas LMS, developed Honors and Advanced Placement courses, developed multi-tiered systems of support for students, expanded school district partnerships, and launched online professional development programs to support educators in Texas school districts. In previous roles Dr. Cooper also focused on expanding student opportunities and support for their success. While working in Pflugerville ISD she led the development of the ASCEND Program for highly gifted students, in Austin ISD she served as the Director of the Kealing Magnet Program improving equitable access for students, and in Del Valle ISD she worked as the Associate Principal for Academics leading the high school to dramatically improve its state accountability rating from zero to five academic distinctions in one year. Dr. Cooper completed her B.A. in Psychology and the Secondary Teacher Certification program at Indiana University Bloomington, M.S. in Geography at Texas State University, and Ed.D. in the Cooperative Superintendency Program in Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Cooper was a first generation college student who benefitted from support of family and friends throughout her journey as a lifelong learner. Her family instilled the values of education and service and a belief that working hard makes a difference. She's a proud daughter of a military veteran and has many military-connected family members. Dr. Cooper grew up in Indiana and enjoyed learning first hand about the inner-workings of a school by tagging along with her mother who was a career elementary school treasurer in the Perry Township Schools. Dr. Cooper enjoys music, art, sports, travel, and spending time with her husband, extended family and friends, and their two very sweet, big dogs. She believes that once a teacher, always a teacher, and she enjoys designing learning experiences that help students and educators achieve excellence and pursue what's next.
Recent Presentations
- Promoting Your School Programs in Today's Climate of School Choice. Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)/Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) TxEDCON23. Dallas, TX, September 2023.
- Providing Pathways for Secondary G/T and Advanced Learners. ESC Region XIII Advanced Academics Conference, Austin, TX, July 2021.
- Transitioning to Online Proctored Testing. TASA Texas Assessment Conference. Virtual, November 2020.
- Credit by Exam Data and Best Practices. TASA Texas Assessment Conference. Austin, TX, November 2019.
- Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: Designing Online Professional Development, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Summer Workshop. Austin, TX, June 2019.
- Place, Pace, and Path: Blended Learning for Gifted Students. Texas Association for the Gifted/Talented (TAGT) Leadership Conference. Georgetown, TX, April 2019.
- The Power of CBE Pathways for Special Populations. TASA Texas Assessment Conference. Austin, TX, November 2018. Handout: CBE Self-Assessment and Action Plan.
- Blended Learning PD for Free! Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)/Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Convention. Austin, TX, September 2018.
- To Blend or Not to Blend? Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Summer Conference. Austin, TX, June 2018.
- Weighting Game: Can Dual Credit and Advanced Placement Co-exist? College Board Southwestern Regional Forum. Houston, TX, February 2017.
- Reverse Deficit Thinking by Using Flexible Academic Strategies, Texas Migrant Interstate Program, McAllen, TX, 2017.
- Credit Recovery and Alternative Paths for Graduation. Education Service Center, Region XIII At-Risk Network Workshop. Austin, TX, October 2016.
- Innovative Curriculum Solutions to Support English Language Learners. Texas Association for Curriculum Development (ASCD) Annual Conference. Austin, TX, October 2015.
- Flexible Online Learning Solutions. Texas Association for Curriculum Development (ASCD) Ignite Conference. Dallas, TX, June 2015.
- Early Readiness High School Graduation Option (ERHSGO). Texas Association for Gifted and Talented (TAGT) Leadership Conference, March 2015.
- Credit by Exams for Acceleration. Texas Association for Gifted and Talented (TAGT) Parent Conference, January and February 2015.