Gwinnett names sole school superintendent finalist

“The Board sought a leader whose intelligence, effectiveness and vision match the scale and promise of this district,” said board chair Tarece Johnson-Morgan in a statement. “Dr. Estrella is a brilliant educator and an experienced superintendent who understands how to lead complex systems with clarity and purpose.”

In January 2025, school board members voted 3-2 to terminate the contract of Superintendent Calvin Watts, who had about 18 months left in his contract. Al Taylor, previously the district’s chief of schools, is the current interim superintendent. The board’s move came less than four years after Gwinnett let go Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks, who led the district for a quarter-century.

The Gwinnett school board will vote on whether to officially hire Estrella at a special meeting at 8 a.m. on March 25.

Before going to the Connecticut school system, Estrella held leadership roles in the New York City Department of Education, including superintendent of Community School District Four in East Harlem, according to a news release from the Gwinnett school board. She began her career as a science teacher, and later founded a dual language middle and high school in New York.

Gwinnett’s choice was praised by former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, who was Connecticut’s former education commissioner.

“Gwinnett County Public Schools needs a superintendent who can honor what the district has built, confront challenges candidly, and mobilize the organization toward higher levels of achievement and opportunity for every student,” Cardona said in a written statement. “Dr. Estrella is exceptionally qualified to lead that work.”

Gwinnett County has faced challenges around equity in recent years: Hispanic students are now the largest demographic group in the district — a change in the last decade. And throughout the search process, board members worried that schools in some parts of the county were not equipped for success.

Estrella said in a statement that she’s honored to be named the finalist.

“I strongly believe that when we focus on developing our people, including our educators, leaders and staff, we create the conditions needed to effectively support every student,” she said. “I look forward to keeping our community informed and actively involved in the decision-making process so that together we can continue building on the progress of Gwinnett schools and add even greater value to this outstanding organization.”