The Board of Trustees for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracie Cascio Snow, administrator of Instructional Services at FSDB, as the 19th president in the school's 135-year history. She will assume her duties as president on Nov. 2, 2020.
"We have unanimously selected Tracie Cascio Snow as the next president of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind," said Owen B. McCaul, chair of the Board of Trustees.
"Her lengthy career at FSDB has demonstrated her passionate devotion to our mission of preparing students to do more, be more and achieve more, thereby acquiring skills for lifelong success. She is an exceptional leader who truly understands FSDB and the importance of engaging faculty and staff members, parents/legal guardians, alumni, business partners, donors and countless other stakeholders who are committed to supporting our students."
Snow will succeed Julia Mintzer, administrator of Business Services, who assumed the role of interim president following the retirement of Dr. Jeanne Glidden Prickett as president on July 31, 2020.
"I am extremely honored and humbled to be selected as the next president of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind," said Snow.
"I truly believe in the mission of our school. We are a school of academic excellence that strives to provide all students with an opportunity to access educational services in a caring, safe and unique learning environment that prepares them to be lifelong learners. I am excited about my new role and have the opportunity to continue working with our students, families, stakeholders and an amazing workforce dedicated to each child's success. As we continue to move through the current school year and the years beyond, we will do so with confidence, innovation and grace."
Snow began her 26th year at FSDB this school year. In her current Instructional Services administrator role, she provides campus-wide leadership in the implementation, monitoring and compliance for general education, specially designed instruction and assessments for preschool through grade 12 students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired and deafblind. Snow also oversees professional development initiatives, certification requirements for academic personnel and serves as the school's Exceptional Student Education (ESE) director. Before 2016, Snow held progressively successive positions at FSDB as Deaf High School special needs teacher, Deaf Elementary School second grade teacher, Deaf Elementary reading specialist and as director of Curriculum and Staff Development within Instructional Services.
Snow earned a bachelor's degree in Social and Rehabilitation Services and Elementary Education from Assumption College in Worcester, MA (1993) and a master's degree in Education from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC (1995), followed by a second master's degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida (2007). She holds several Florida state certifications, including Educational Leadership.
As a Florida Department of Education-appointed co-chair of the State Advisory Committee (SAC) for the Education of Exceptional Students, Snow provides policy guidance on education and related services for Florida's children with disabilities.
Tracie Cascio Snow and her husband David Snow have two children–Setthawut, a student at Gallaudet University and Ty, a senior at FSDB.
About FSDB
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind is a tuition-free state public school and outreach center available to eligible pre-K and K-12 students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired or deafblind. At FSDB, students learn how to do more, be more, and achieve more, fulfilling our vision of preparing them for a lifetime of success. FSDB gratefully accepts private donations to support vital programs that directly benefit students and are not paid by state general revenue funds. To inquire about enrollment eligibility or schedule a campus tour, contact Parent Services at 904-827-2212 voice or 904-201-4527 videophone. For more information about FSDB, visit www.fsdbk12.org.