"He's always trying to find new ways to improve the City Schools and he's asking people for their opinions," said Natalie Roig-McKnight, a TCS educator. "Anytime I am at Central Office and I see him, it's not even a full shot of him, it's just a blur."
The University of Alabama alum admits he does have trouble sitting still. Since being named the 15th superintendent of the Tuscaloosa City Schools, he began a series of listening sessions to learn from others their perspective on helping TCS achieve excellence. He has never forgotten his time in the classroom either, making sure "teacher voice" is represented in system decisions.
For him, the work starts with the foundation: kindergarten. Under his leadership, TCS teachers were empowered to re-envision the kindergarten curriculum so that students are reading on grade level by the time they reach third grade. The early results show that the effort is working, too. This initiative is coupled with the system's award-winning summer learning academy which was designed to reinforce skills learned to avoid the phenomenon called the "summer slide." Results show that students who participated in TCS summer learning programs didn't see the summer slide like their peers who did not attend. In 2020, TCS debuted the ELEVATE Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program, backed by the City Council.
Daria's personal goal is to ensure each and every student who graduates from TCS has a plan for their future once the diploma is placed in their hand.
"I absolutely am always looking to improve to do better and do more and that really does put me on the run a good bit, but I really wouldn't have it any other way," said Daria, who was named one of 25 Superintendents to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association in 2017.
He and his wife Susy have two children. Nicholas attended the Tuscaloosa City Schools and now attends The University of Alabama. Tyler attends the Tuscaloosa City Schools. Daria earned his doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Alabama and earned National Superintendent Certification through AASA in 2020.