At United Way Community Schools, we know that our greatest resource isn't a program or a process, it's our people.
United Way Community School Directors are at the heart of the Community School Model. Every day, they connect schools with community partners, build relationships with students, support families through challenges, and create opportunities that help students inside and outside the
classroom.
This year, we're excited to recognize the expertise and leadership of five Community School Directors through the creation of new Community School Specialist roles. As a pilot initiative, these expanded leadership positions are designed to strengthen the Community School Model by allowing experienced staff to share their knowledge and build capacity throughout our Community Schools system, while continuing to serve in their own schools.
This creates greater consistency, strengthens implementation, and fosters collaboration and innovation throughout our network.
Our new specialists and focus areas are:
- Shanna Potter: In-School Enrichment (Student Leadership)
- Bailey Pituch and Liz Nies, Grade-Level Readiness
- Tami Krzeszewski-Conway: Out-of-School Time
- Amy Grande: Neighborhood & Community Engagement
In these roles, the Specialists will help identify and elevate best practices, support professional learning opportunities, and provide leadership in their areas of expertise. Their experience and insights will help strengthen programs across our schools while ensuring successful strategies and innovative ideas are shared throughout the Community Schools network.
By investing in the professional growth and leadership of our staff, we're also investing in the future of Community Schools. These specialists will help build capacity across our team, and they'll expand the impact of the work happening every day for students, families, and our community.
Meghan Easter, Vice President of Community Schools, shared:
"Creating the Community School Specialist pilot was a natural next step in strengthening and sustaining the impact of our United Way Community School Model. We have talented Community School Directors who have developed expertise in key areas of the work, and these roles allow us to recognize that expertise while creating structured opportunities.
As Community Schools continue to grow, it is important that we invest in leadership development from within. These roles provide initiative-wide support while creating meaningful opportunities for professional growth for our staff. Ultimately, this pilot initiative strengthens our ability to serve students and families by ensuring that knowledge, resources, and successful strategies are shared, scaled, and sustained across all Community Schools."