Write a comment
Superintendent Mires empowers education
By: Flora Wade
Jill Mires is among the 20% of women holding a superintendent position nationally, but takes on her career in a small local community. She had a busy first semester, going to each of the three schools and their events, attending many conferences, participating in groups and being involved in associations. Mires strives to work on professional and school-wide development.
During the first semester, Mires attended the New Superintendent Academy, through the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, which holds two seminars in Indianapolis to prepare superintendents for the first two years in their new position.
Additional training is implemented through the Indiana School Board Association with “various meetings and workshops with multi-faceted topics including-governance and leadership, legal and policy compliance, finance and budget, student achievement and accountability, and community and stakeholder engagement,” Mires said.
She is a member of the Southern Hills Study Council, where she engages in discussions covering topics on education and academic points of interest.
In order to prioritize the enhancement of Salem Schools, Mires has attended training, observations, and classroom discussions such as:
- The Washington County Community Foundation
- IUS Partnership for Pathways In Education
- Keys To Literacy
- CTE District 45 Prosser Meeting
- English Language Community and Family Engagement
Within the corporation, Mires attends “In house professional development with our teachers on safety, literacy, writing, brain regulation and social-emotional learning.” She checks and covers many topics in weekly and monthly meetings with Salem principals and facility managers. New Teacher Mentor Sessions are held monthly for new teaching staff and book studies with Salem instructional assistants and bus drivers are also held on a regular basis.
In order to remain a certified school safety specialist, Mires and Salem staff must attend 10 hours of school safety training. This training can also certify teachers as specialists as well, where they will be able to fluently discuss and communicate the necessary actions needed in case of school emergencies.
One topic she has really enjoyed learning more about is how to support her own personal development.
Mires attends “The WELL” program, which was established by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents. This program is dedicated to the growth and support of female educators and leaders. The WELL holds the Indiana Women's Leadership Consortium.
“Women leaders in Indiana were surveyed this summer and the results showed that women want to know more about holding people accountable, delegating to ensure success, and dealing with difficult people while achieving work-life balance,” according to the IAPSS website.
“I have really enjoyed the focus on my physical and mental health,” Mires said.
This program has created a community for many female educators, and has been a stronghold for Mires in her superintendent position.
She has continued to travel and bring about important changes and efforts to the schools. Mires focuses on coming into the classrooms and getting an important perspective of what a school day looks like, and most importantly, building a relationship with the students and teachers to further develop Salem Schools.
She is looking forward to learning more in the second semester so she can continue to lead SCS to success.