Dr. Lisa Hess
In my twenty plus years in education, I have had a wide variety of roles in both urban and suburban school districts that have enabled me to be able to see the impact of educational decisions from various points of view. Sixteen of those years were spent in the classroom as a high school teacher and an instructional coach, but I have also been fortunate in my most recent years to have experiences as an assistant high school principal, acting high school principal, and as a central office administrator. I earned my Bachelor of Science Degree in English Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, my Master’s Degree in Education with a K-12 Principal Certification at Cabrini University, and my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University.
As Assistant Superintendent for the Governor Mifflin School District, my main focus is to ensure that there is a solid instructional core across our district. I am the leader of professional learning and curriculum development where the focus is on improving student learning at scale by increasing the level of knowledge and skill the teacher brings to the instructional process, increasing the level and complexity of content that students are asked to learn, and changing the role of the student in the instructional process through meaningful engagement. Other responsibilities within my position include coordinating and implementing federal programs, leading our mentor and new teaching induction programs, leading our K-12 department leaders, creating teacher improvement plans, and developing and implementing our district’s teacher continuing education program.
At the leadership level, John Kotter, author of several books on leadership and change, has had the greatest impact on me in terms of my beliefs about and implementation of professional learning. Through reading his books, he has taught me about managing change as a leader. Professional learning, at the core, is about creating and sustaining transformational change with the goal of improving student learning and achievement. I truly believe that professional learning is the most important part of the profession of education and Kotter has influenced me to take a solid approach to ensure that the professional learning I am leading will create and sustain meaningful change. Kotter has influenced the way in which I approach professional learning through the development of my willingness to seek new challenges and a willingness to reflect honestly on my successes and failures. He has influenced me to create honest buy-in by creating a sense of urgency for change and to always enlist a guiding coalition that will develop and message the vision. Developing capacity beyond myself as the leader is what creates sustainability.. I am continually trying to find ways to build other leaders of professional learning.
As Assistant Superintendent for the Governor Mifflin School District, my main focus is to ensure that there is a solid instructional core across our district. I am the leader of professional learning and curriculum development where the focus is on improving student learning at scale by increasing the level of knowledge and skill the teacher brings to the instructional process, increasing the level and complexity of content that students are asked to learn, and changing the role of the student in the instructional process through meaningful engagement. Other responsibilities within my position include coordinating and implementing federal programs, leading our mentor and new teaching induction programs, leading our K-12 department leaders, creating teacher improvement plans, and developing and implementing our district’s teacher continuing education program.
At the leadership level, John Kotter, author of several books on leadership and change, has had the greatest impact on me in terms of my beliefs about and implementation of professional learning. Through reading his books, he has taught me about managing change as a leader. Professional learning, at the core, is about creating and sustaining transformational change with the goal of improving student learning and achievement. I truly believe that professional learning is the most important part of the profession of education and Kotter has influenced me to take a solid approach to ensure that the professional learning I am leading will create and sustain meaningful change. Kotter has influenced the way in which I approach professional learning through the development of my willingness to seek new challenges and a willingness to reflect honestly on my successes and failures. He has influenced me to create honest buy-in by creating a sense of urgency for change and to always enlist a guiding coalition that will develop and message the vision. Developing capacity beyond myself as the leader is what creates sustainability.. I am continually trying to find ways to build other leaders of professional learning.