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During
her 28 years in Osborn (26 as Superintendent),
Dr. Wilma Basnett has led with humility and grace — truly a
servant leader. Guiding by example, she has "walked the
walk" as a collaborative decision maker, trustworthy steward
of Osborn’s resources, and passionate supporter of public
education. Affectionately known among staff as "Dr. B", her
composure in difficult situations is equally matched by her
quick wit and spot-on sense of humor. But don’t let that
twinkle in her eye fool you, when it comes to student
achievement and Osborn’s standing in the community and
state, she is all business! Dr. B firmly believes that you
get what you expect and she expects the best!
Dr. Basnett has worked tirelessly to achieve our vision
to "become a community of learners focused on quality in
teaching, learning and leading within a safe environment
characterized by encouragement, cooperation, challenge, and
a respect for diversity." In 2009 she was honored as the
Arizona Superintendent of the Year. Few have been more
deserving of this recognition. More than 30,000 children
have benefited from her unwavering commitment to provide
high-quality curriculum and instruction in safe, beautiful
schools conducive to learning.
Driven by a deep appreciation for our community’s support
of numerous bond and override elections, Dr. Basnett has
been a vigilant custodian of the valuable resources this
support has provided our schools. If you tour a school with
her, be ready for some exercise because if there’s a piece
of litter on the ground, she’ll likely beat you to it! She
firmly believes that Osborn students deserve to learn in
beautiful spaces with the best teachers and materials.
She has earned the right to retire and spend more time
with her husband Charles and dog Ozzie (named after the
district she loves), but we know where she lives! Assistant
Superintendent Patricia Tate will assume the role of
Superintendent July 1st
and is thrilled that continued Osborn support
is part of Dr. B’s retirement plan!!
Mrs. Patricia "Patty" Tate , has served as Assistant
Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the past
16 years. She is a native Arizonan, has a Bachelor’s Degree
in Education from ASU, and a Master’s Degree in Special
Education from the U of A. A recipient of the Presidential
Award for Science Teaching, she has also served as Adjunct
Faculty at ASU’s College of Teacher Education and
Leadership.
Dr. Basnett, Mrs. Tate and the entire administrative team
have worked collaboratively to develop and strengthen
long-standing partnerships with ASU such as iTeach AZ, a
program that trains teachers in a year-long residency in our
schools, and the Teacher Incentive Fund Grant (TIF) which
helped initiate performance pay for teachers as well as
providing for career advancement for master and mentor
teachers. These and other ongoing partnerships have helped
improve teacher retention and student learning and will
continue to enrich the district in the future.
Click here to see Dr. Basnett's award and celebration night |
