The Issaquah School District Board of Directors has selected Heather Tow-Yick, a member of the Chiefs for Change Future Chiefs leadership development program, as the district’s next superintendent. Issaquah, located near Seattle, serves approximately 20,000 students across 26 schools.
Tow-Yick is currently deputy superintendent for the neighboring Mukilteo School District, where she has played a significant role in the district’s response to Covid-19. In addition, Tow-Yick supports efforts to address achievement gaps in reading and math, increase access to rigorous content for all students, and promote the social and emotional wellbeing of students and staff. She also oversees district-wide strategy, talent, and school improvement initiatives.
Prior to Mukilteo, Tow-Yick was chief of staff to the CEO at Teach For America and launched the organization’s work in Rhode Island. Her experience also includes roles as chief transformation officer and chief of staff for Providence Public Schools, consultant at the Bridgespan Group, and special assistant to former New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein. She began her career as a middle school English teacher in the Bronx and was drawn to education based on her experiences growing up and the support of her extended Chinese family.
Tow-Yick is part of the sixth cohort of the Future Chiefs program, which identifies talented, diverse emerging leaders and integrates them into a community of practice. Future Chiefs receive coaching and mentorship from members of Chiefs for Change and participate in a variety of other learning opportunities. Tow-Yick has a master’s in secondary English education from Columbia University Teachers College and an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Brown University.
