Rick Surrency

Rick Surrency is the superintendent of the Putnam County School District in Florida. He treats graduation as something a district builds toward for years rather than discovers in senior spring, pairing early warning signs in grades 3, 6, and 9 with a widening set of reasons for students to finish: STEM, career pathways, dual enrollment, and the chance to earn an associate degree before leaving high school. He calls it a culmination of opportunities.