How excited I am to be a part of this community. The schools in Huntsville have been built upon a strong foundation due to the support and investment of this community. Huntsville has a whole vision of building champions, and I’m ready to become a part of this administration and take our schools to the next level.”
These are positive words from a very enthusiastic Travis Fanning, the new HISD Superintendent of Schools. Mr. Fanning, Coshunda (his wife of 21 years), and their son Micah (a freshman student this year) are thrilled to become a part of this thriving community and enjoy the amenities and personalities the Huntsville area offers.
Fanning grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where his parents still reside after 54 years, and in the same house. He remarks that stability is important to him; it is a life he has known. He grew up playing several sports and was a percussionist in the marching band. In fact, it was a band scholarship which provided his college education at Alabama A&M University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with specialization in secondary education. His next degree endeavor took him to the University of Houston Clear Lake, where he earned a masters. He is now working toward a doctoral degree at Baylor University. The treasure of a quality education captivated him early on, and the love of being with students and watching their mastery of knowledge and skills brought him into the world of education. At college, he took a job at a math lab, where he fell in love with tutoring and working with students. He found his life’s work in education and changed his major to education. “Curriculum instruction is my favorite thing to do, and I love being in the classroom.”
Over the past few years, Fanning has served in several instructional and administrative roles. He has experience spanning all ages and grades from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and loves the characteristics and challenges each age group brings. As he states, “I understand the whole education continuum and have the ability to connect and work with all people, students, teachers, administrators, and parents alike.”
His career path and leadership journey have included:
One of Fanning’s goals during his first year in Huntsville is to become extremely familiar with the community and to translate this into solid planning and successful outcomes for the students on all campuses. “I want to become truly invested here as a valuable member of the community, and as a committed parent in this school system. As you can see, success is a goal, not only for my own son, but for each and every student we guide through encouragement, strong support, and the wise use of our resources.”
Fanning plans to expand the educational opportunities for HISD students. One way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of the jobs and careers that are currently and soon to be in demand for the students who are presently working toward a high school degree. “We need to provide opportunities so each student can build a pathway to either enroll in higher education, enlist in the military, or be employed in a career or business that can provide them with success. This involves our staying on track with what the needs are in the workforce. HISD currently offers a number of industry-based certifications that allow students to go directly into the workforce, and we must expand those opportunities and keep up with the needs.”
Another aspect of staying relevant with the changing landscape in education involves adapting and implementing the newest guidelines and regulations enacted by the state legislature every two years. “State testing methods may change, and we must adapt our goals and curriculum to meet these requirements. And beyond legislative changes, technology evolves, such as the use of AI, and we must wisely structure our educational processes to incorporate this into the curriculum, while also maintaining authentic learning. AI and other innovative resources are tools we must carefully craft into our programs yet understand our students still need basic knowledge and skills to provide a solid and firm education from which to learn and succeed.”
Enthusiasm and excitement about his future in Huntsville abound as Fanning shares his love of education and how he hopes to make a positive impact on the quality of education in HISD. “I love to grow, learn, and develop. A person is either green and growing, or ripe and rotten! I am driven to keep learning, and I hope to bring this same love to our students, faculty, and parents. I invite them to come alongside, and let’s be partners together.” He believes working cohesively as a team, showing respect to each other regardless of similarities and differences, and getting involved is key to our students’ success. “My desire and will is to work with our kids to change the trajectory of their lives and the generations to follow. Education is the great equalizer. It can change a family, a city, and the world.”
Aside from the demands and pleasures of leading HISD toward greater achievements, Fanning and his family love to travel, tour museums, and (as confirmed “foodies”) enjoy the delectable offerings of the many local restaurants in Huntsville and surrounding communities. He also has a true passion for pickleball (and this writer can add, “I would not want to be on the other side of the net from him!”) Asked about his life after retirement someday, he unequivocably states, “I want to be a travel agent. I think that would be crazy and fun.” We look forward to seeing what’s ahead with Travis Fanning in the lead at HISD.
