There are so many incredible quotes, strategies, and nuggets of inspiration in this short #100DistrictConversations post from conversation #37 with Michelle Miller, Superintendent of South Fayette Township in Pennsylvania. This summary barely scratches the surface of the initiatives Michelle is building for students in her district, but you can watch this video from a recent League of Innovative Schools visit to get another glimpse!

"Stepping into the role of Superintendent at the close of the pandemic, my focus was: Reset, Recalibrate, and Heal. Recognizing the significant impact on everyone's mental well-being, my immediate priority was to foster a supportive environment where our adults felt valued and could, in turn, best support our students.

From October through January , I meet with every educator in grade levels or departments. I start by asking, 'What’s going well?' to ensure we don't inadvertently disrupt positive outcomes. I also ask, 'What do you want to put on my radar?' This open invitation has led to valuable insights and proactive responses, such as addressing elementary teachers' concerns about the lack of assemblies and facilitating vertical alignment work in science and math.

Keeping students at the center of our work requires a personalized approach to supporting our teachers. We've embraced a 'stop doing' mentality for practices that don't best serve our staff or students – for example, reconsidering the necessity of in-person meetings when email communication suffices. For compliance-driven training, such as anaphylactic shock protocols, we utilize online platforms like Vector, allowing staff to access information at their own pace and convenience.

Crucially, we actively solicit feedback from our teachers. We ask: 'What is one thing I can take off your plate that won’t impact the learner’s experience?' and 'What is one thing that we can do to help you become a more effective instructor in the coming year?' If a request aligns with our strategic goals or is not compliance-specific, we prioritize personalization.

A central theme throughout my tenure has been bringing joy back into our schools – into the lives of our staff, our classrooms, and our buildings. We have implemented initiatives like a 'reverse trick-or-treat' and a dynamic beginning-of-year kick-off that feels more like a theatrical production than a compliance-driven event.

Our 'South Fayette Medallion' initiative, inspired by the military challenge coin tradition, embodies this spirit. Each year, individuals are recognized for their selflessness and service with a coin, and they, in turn, nominate another colleague who exemplifies our strategic plan's core tenets. These coins are distributed across all staff roles, from bus drivers to office administrators, and recipients are celebrated annually. We also extend this recognition to their families, with a personal note from me acknowledging their support."