Michelle Harris

Email Michelle HERE 
Phone (O): ext. 6870

 

MEd Educational Leadership
MEd Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
BS Elementary Education/Special Education

Instructional Certifications: Elementary K-6; Mentally and/or Physically Handicapped K-12; Administrative K-12

For Michelle Harris, executive director of Educational Technology, a lifelong commitment to professional growth is the essential driving force behind her work with students, teachers and school systems and processes. Harris began her career in Special Education and classroom teaching. Her compassion for meeting learners where they are, naturally led to school leadership and peer coaching roles. As school-based teacher leader at Joseph Pennell Elementary, Harris began coaching teachers in instructional practice and classroom management, using a cognitive coaching model that introduced an analytical approach to data driven instruction, combined with a meaningful feedback loop.

Seeing the impact of coaching on students and teachers led Ms. Harris to new District roles as academic coach, professional learning specialist and PVAAS Project Administrator. Her expertise in the Danielson Framework provided additional structures to add consistency and clarity to District-wide professional development.

In her current role, Harris directs the professional development surrounding the largest District-wide initiatives. Currently she manages the training of over two thousand teachers who received new interactive SMART flat panel whiteboards to ensure teachers can utilize this technology in pedagogically meaningful and impactful ways. Prior to this, Harris managed the training surrounding the Student Information System (SIS), which affects virtually every District employee, student and family.

Perhaps Harris’ greatest asset as a leader is that even when managing massive, complex institutional initiatives, she never loses focus on the fact that change in teaching or professional practice is inherently personal. Therefore, her approach to attaining broad institutional change is to deliver relevant, supportive, compassionate and honest opportunities for individualized professional development.