Alicia Thompson
Superintendent
Wichita Public Schools
Wichita, KS USA
“You cannot make it in this world or be anything in this world without other people.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationAlicia Thompson
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas.
My mom was a schoolteacher in Wichita, so I spent a lot of my time immersed in the school district.
The admiration I had for a former teacher paired with my experience teaching vacation bible school in high school drove me to seriously consider going into the education industry.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching from Langston University, an HBCU in Oklahoma.
I started my career as a teacher for Wichita Public Schools.
Along my journey, I earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, as well as a doctorate in educational leadership and administration.
I transitioned from being a teacher, to a building leader, and then to a district-level administrator.
I was appointed as superintendent of Wichita Public Schools in 2017.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Elementary Education and Teaching
Langston University
Elementary Education and Teaching
Langston University
Doctorate
Educational Leadership and Administration
Wichita State University
Educational Leadership and Administration
Wichita State University
Career
Superintendent
I provide leadership and the strategic vision for the school district.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Government
Teaching / Mentoring
Day to Day
My days are never the same. Some days I'll be in meetings all day. Other days I'll be traveling and meeting with legislators to advocate for the school district. I also spend time working with community members to make sure they know about all of the cool things happening in our school district. I have a team that works throughout all parts of the school district. I meet with them regularly to make sure we're all in alignment with our goals and activities.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Find something that you're passionate in and work on the skills you need to break into that career. I also recommend getting involved in organizations or clubs in school. I was in a sorority and have been able to call upon my sorority sisters—and even former classmates from my HBCU—for opportunities and connections. You build valuable networks by being involved and engaged in things. When you graduate college and are moving to a new city or looking for a job, those networks are going to matter.
