Gazette: Colorado Springs superintendent receives 2025 Women in School Leadership Award

By O’Dell Isaac
Mar 10, 2025

During more than two decades in education, Harrison School District 2 Superintendent Wendy Birhanzel has developed a clear vision of what it means to be a leader.

“Leadership, to me, is creating opportunities by removing barriers so everyone can reach their success,” Birhanzel said.

“In D-2, that means barriers that students might face. Many of those can be financial barriers. We find programming so that students can access, for example, advanced classes for free. They can go to college for free. For teachers, it can mean making sure they have time to do their planning, they have the support from admin to ensure they have the feedback they need to grow, and that we have professional development so they can be the best version of themselves that they can be.”

Birhanzel’s stewardship has paid dividends in the form of increased graduation rates, shrinking dropout rates and competitive state test scores — and people are taking notice. Last week, at the annual School Superintendent’s Association’s education conference in New Orleans, Birhanzel received the 2025 Women in School Leadership Award.

It was the latest addition to a series of recognitions for the District 2 superintendent, including the 2023 Colorado Superintendent of the Year, the Mayor’s Young Leader Award, Colorado Springs Woman of Distinction and the Solid Rock Community Development Corporation’s 2023 Southeast Colorado Springs Distinguished Service Award.

But Birhanzel insists that these awards are not about her, but about the concerted efforts of D-2 students, staff and families.

“This award is about the great things happening in D-2,” she said. “It’s not about me. It’s our students, staff and community working together to change outcomes.”

Often when there’s an issue that could affect student success, Birhanzel can be found out front, advocating for her kids. In 2022, she was part of a panel of education, law enforcement and health care professionals that introduced the Challenge to Change plan, a campaign that focuses on curbing social media abuse among teens. In 2023, when then-U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn visited Colorado Springs to introduce anti-fentanyl legislation, Birhanzel challenged the congressman to expand the bill’s provisions to include nitrile gloves to protect staff members during drug searches.

“I think too many times people in leadership want to take the safe route or complain about what’s happening,” she said. “But it’s our job to proactively see what’s coming down the road and respond ahead of time. In D-2, we take great pride in being mavericks and doing things differently.”

While she is proud of this latest achievement, Birhanzel said she is even more proud of District 2 students and teachers.

“Our students are bucking the trend of what research and statistics tell us they will achieve,” she said.

“They’re outperforming their peers across the state on state tests. They’re out-graduating their peers across the state. They’re going to college and earning scholarships at a high level. We’re showing that when students, staff and community can work together, with a unified vision, good things can happen for all kids, regardless of zip code.”