June 8, 2016: Traci Davis, Superintendent of Washoe County School District

 
 
Arianna Bennett, a reporter from Chanel 2 (KTVN), and host of "Face the State", will interview Washoe County School District Superintendent Traci Davis (pictured above), about the challenges facing the district as well as opportunities and successes.
 
Traci Davis is the Superintendent of the Washoe County School District, the second largest school district in Nevada serving over 63,000 students. The Superintendent, as Chief Executive Officer, oversees the day-to-day activities of the District. Ms. Davis provides support to the School Board and the Washoe County School District by managing the Strategic Plan in accordance with established goals.

Superintendent Davis served as deputy superintendent of WCSD from September, 2012 to October, 2014, when she was named interim superintendent. In both roles, she provided support to the WCSD Board of Trustees, superintendent, and the District by managing the strategic plan in accordance with established goals. As interim superintendent, she has continued to foster stronger relationships with the community and within the District, while maintaining an intense focus on improving academic performance and graduation rates and narrowing achievement gaps among student populations. She provided a strong and supportive presence in Carson City as lawmakers debated and ultimately passed historic legislation in support of schools during the 2015 Legislative session.

Prior to joining Washoe County School District, Davis worked 16 years in the Clark County School District. She served in a variety of roles ranging from teacher, Title I Interventionist, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Area Superintendent. During her tenure, she developed programs to increase student achievement. She assisted with the Superintendent’s initiative, “A Look Ahead” implementing programming to target predicted high school dropouts all in an attempt to increase graduation rates. Ms. Davis was recognized with the Nevada National Distinguished Principal Award in 2011 for her efforts in transforming an at risk school.

Ms. Davis holds the following degrees: Educational Specialist from Nova Southeastern University, with a focus on school administration, a Master’s degree of Education in Educational Technology from Lesley University, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

As a native Nevadan, Ms. Davis is committed to closing all achievement gaps for students in Washoe County School District. Her motto is simple, “Achievement is not a place, it is a belief!” Her strong belief is that we should have high academic expectations for all students so that by graduation they will be college or career ready.
 

Arianna Bennett grew up in Reno and graduated from Reno High. There, she first discovered her love for journalism while working on the school newspaper, The Red & Blue.

Arianna graduated from Northwestern University with a major in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in English Literature. She got her feet wet reporting in Montana at KULR-TV in Billings, but she couldn't wait to get back to her hometown. She has been with Channel 2 News since 2010, reporting for the evening newscasts, and anchoring the 11 p.m. show on weeknights. She also hosts Face The State, an in-depth news talk show which airs on weekends.

When Arianna graduated from journalism school, the university president thanked the graduates for participating in a field that is "so essential to a functioning democracy." Arianna is proud to work as a journalist, and even more proud to be reporting in her hometown!

Alongside journalism, Arianna harbors a healthy obsession with Lake Tahoe, and thinks that living this close to it is just about as good as it gets.