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HARLINGEN – When J.A. Gonzalez takes over as the new superintendent of Harlingen schools, he’ll bring with him a lifetime of experience.
“I started out as a science teacher and worked my way through the system,” said Gonzalez, who was hired as the new head of the Harlingen school district at a school board meeting Aug. 16. He’s filling the position previously occupied by Veronica Kortan, who served as interim superintendent after Alicia Noyola retired.
“HCISD is proud to welcome Dr. J.A. Gonzalez to the helm of our district on Sept. 1, 2023,” said Harlingen School Board President Belinda Reininger. She gave special mention to his service as superintendent of McAllen schools for eight years.
“His strong track record and dedication to student achievement is undeniable,” Reininger said. “He is an award-winning superintendent with the experience and approach to leadership that will complement our district’s strategic plan and high expectations.”
While Gonzalez, 50, served as the McAllen superintendent for eight years, he was with the district much longer than that.
“I had been in McAllen ISD for 26 years,” he said. “When you think about it, 26 years is a long time in a district. I was just ready for my next challenge, and I thought if I’m going to do that, I want to do it in a place where I can raise my family.”
That family consists of three children, two of whom will soon attend Dr. Rodriguez Elementary School. A third will soon begin classes at Gutierrez Middle School. Gonzalez’s wife, a two-way dual language teacher, also plans to work for the district.
In the community of educators in general and more specifically superintendents, Gonzalez had heard many accolades about Harlingen.
“Everyone I’ve ever met from there, even back in my college days, they had a lot of pride in the community,” he said. “They held their heads up high when they talked about their community.”
And it has been the same for the Harlingen school district.
“Everything I knew about the district, they were just a shining star,” Gonzalez said. “They were breaking barriers and creating different academies for kids, different opportunities for kids.”
Gonzalez graduated from Hebbronville High School in 1991. He received his undergraduate degree in secondary education with an emphasis on biology and kinesiology from Texas A&M University in Kingsville.
“My first two years in education were in Bishop, Texas,” he said. “I taught biology and I coached football, basketball and track for two years. Then I relocated to the Valley and stopped coaching and started pursuing my master’s degree.”
He earned his master’s degree in educational administration at the University of Texas at Pan American and also is doctorate of education from the same institution.
