An academic institution’s success depends largely on the leaders at its helm. We spoke to several of those leaders from area schools, scholarship funds, and other educational organizations that keep our kids learning and thriving.
Sarah Ritchey
Art Instructor
Toledo Museum of Art
2445 Monroe St.
419-255-8000
toledomuseum.org
How did you decide that this was the right position for you? What about it brings you joy? Being able to teach from the Toledo Museum of Art Collection and having the work right in front of you with the students creates such an incredible atmosphere for imagination and creativity. I love learning along with the students, hearing their ideas and how they respond to works of art, and what their opinions are about specific artworks. Working for the museum gives me an opportunity to wonder, play, and explore with students from all neighborhoods, backgrounds, and abilities who all have one thing in common — a love of art.
Describe your biggest win professionally from 2022. Honestly, I believe all successes and failures help us develop professionally. Some classes go really well and some projects are amazing; then there are classes that just don’t mesh and they go off the rails. In these circumstances, I pivot so that students can continue to feel a sense of accomplishment and success in the art room.
What is your favorite thing to do in your downtime? I create my own personal artwork and catch up on continued education for lesson planning. I test out new media and art concepts to introduce to students so that nothing I introduce in the classroom feels stale or repetitive.
How do you maintain a work-life balance? Working as an art teacher, you tend to bring a lot of your ideas and planning home with you. Work gets intermeshed within life in exciting and inspirational ways, just as life is always inspiring art. I have a space dedicated in my home to work on my own artwork, but also work on projects in their experimental phase. I consider my fellow art teachers to be close friends and colleagues with brilliant ideas. We have a great community and are able to build upon our ideas with one another.
Name the top three strengths an educator has to have in order to be good at their job.
Flexibility, organization, and curiosity.
Megan Salameh
Program Coordinator
Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund
5800 Monroe St., Sylvania
419-720-7048
nosf.org
How did you decide that this was the right position for you? I had already been working for NOSF for almost five years as the marketing and communications coordinator when the opportunity for this position came up.
What about it brings you joy? The families that we serve and knowing the joy and financial assistance that this program brings to them. When they call and write thank you letters, you know that NOSF is giving them an opportunity they may not be able to afford without the scholarship.
Describe your biggest win professionally from 2022. Continuing to serve Northwest Ohio and the community for another year. This was NOSF’s 24th year serving K-8 families in Northwest Ohio.
What is your favorite thing to do in your downtime? Spending time with my family and friends.
How do you maintain a work-life balance? I think that being organized in your daily life personally and professionally allows you to have that balance. This then allows you to know what you are up against for the week, and having that plan provides you with that balance.
Name the top three strengths an educator has to have in order to be good at their job. Patience, kindness, and knowledge.
Anastasia Desmond M.Ed
Assistant Headmistress/College and Career Counselor
Northwest Ohio Classical Academy
5025 Glendale Ave.567-420-6180
nocacademy.org
What brings you the most joy? What brings me joy is the sweet innocence of children captivated by goodness and wonder. As educators, we are entrusted with the sacred responsibility to lead souls to all that is good, true and beautiful. Working with a strong community of parents and staff who share the same vision makes me happy.
Biggest win professionally: I think my biggest “win” (professionally speaking) is using the knowledge and experience acquired over the span of 19 years to offer a tuition-free classical education to the residents of Northwest Ohio. Northwest Ohio Classical Academy is home to about 480 students and enrollment continues to grow each year with an annual waitlist. It is an honor to be part of such a unique initiative.
What’s your favorite thing to do in your downtime? Spending time with my family, watching my children compete in their athletic pursuits, and seeing a good movie.
How do you achieve a healthy work-life balance? I try to balance the demands of work with prayer each morning and rest on the weekends.
What are the top three attributes that an educator should have? Perseverance, dedication and a love of learning. In order to translate those individual attributes into a successful academic experience, it requires a team of motivated servant leaders who partner with families to model the virtues we seek to instill in our students.
What makes NOCA Unique? NOCA is unique for three primary reasons. First and foremost, NOCA is dedicated to the development of virtuous citizens. Secondly, NOCA offers one of the most rigorous curriculums in all of Northwest Ohio. That includes explicit phonics, grammar, cursive, rich literature, authentic history, Singapore math and a robust science curriculum. Lastly, NOCA is comprised of a strong community of conscientious parents and staff who believe in school choice rooted in the moral and intellectual development of children.
Lynn Cherry
Head of School
Lial Catholic School
5700 Davis Rd., Whitehouse
lialschool.org
How did you decide that this was the right position for you? What about it brings you joy? When I found Lial, I knew it was the right fit for me. This little school in the woods has become the center of my days; I work, pray, and spend time outside of school with the families and staff in our community. The balance of faith and friendship at Lial has brought me such joy.
Describe your biggest win professionally from 2022. 2022 marks the 50th anniversary for Lial. With it comes a year of celebration, and we have been blessed with alumni returning to campus for multiple events. Our 50th celebration has also brought in donations and a major safety grant which have been designated for capital improvement projects, including a new building sign, a new outdoor building and our entire school being outfitted in 3M security film on all our interior/exterior windows and doors.
What is your favorite thing to do in your downtime? I love spending time with my family and our new puppy, Rocco Rose.
How do you maintain a work-life balance? I use my Google calendar to schedule my entire day, including work and family commitments. I even schedule time throughout the week devoted to working out, which is an amazing tool to help manage stress.
Name the top three strengths an educator has to have in order to be good at their job. Faith-filled, prepared and approachable.
Sarah Hawley
School Director
iLEAD Spring Meadows
1615 Timberwolf Dr. Holland, Ohio 43528
419-491-7423
ileadspringmeadows.org
How did you decide that this was the right position for you? What about it brings you joy? I knew that I wanted to be in a position where I would have the opportunity to drive change in education to provide children what they need! A big part of that is being able to identify staff that are the best fit for our school. I love recruiting creative educators that are passionate about their work and up for a challenge. My greatest joy comes from seeing our learners come to school with smiles on their faces and excited to be here, working with a family to overcome challenges that will allow their child to thrive, and hearing learners share their presentations of learning that culminate in each of their projects.
Describe your biggest win professionally from 2022. In 2022, it was extra exciting to host our Harvest Festival and other in-person community events after a couple of years of less face-to-face interactions. We love having families and community members on campus for presentations of learning, open houses, volunteering, and seasonal events!
What is your favorite thing to do in your downtime? I try to dedicate any downtime that I have to my family. Spending time with my own children, close friends, and extended family is the most fun I ever have! We love to cook together and visit new places!
How do you maintain a work-life balance? Maintaining a work-life balance is something I’m still learning. Over the last year, though, I’ve realized that if I don’t take care of myself, I can’t take care of everyone else. My goal is to take time just for me each day, I’ve gotten pretty good at doing that at least once a week. I use my “me time” to write, organize, do yoga and learn new things.
Name the top three strengths an educator has to have in order to be good at their job. Being an educator is a tough job. The best ones are collaborative, curious, and problem solvers. At iLEAD Spring Meadows, all of our learners and staff demonstrate leadership qualities and understand that everyone is important! Candidates for all positions at our school participate in a full-day event where they are immersed in the iLEAD culture so that we can learn who they are, not just what their resumé is. This gives both the school and the candidate an opportunity to really know if each is a good fit for the other.
Joella Simmons
School Leader HOPE Learning Academy
4234 Monroe St.
419-297-6313
hopelearningacademy.org
Years at institution: 4 years
Describe your responsibilities as school leader: As the school leader of HOPE Learning Academy of Toledo, it is my responsibility to uphold the mission and vision of HOPE. Our primary goal is to support the social, emotional, and academic needs of students with special needs and exceptionalities. Hope Learning Academy uses a non-traditional classroom approach to meet the needs of students we serve. I support my staff in executing their commitment to high standards and success for all our students.
I lead the day-to-day activities of the school with a positive, enthusiastic attitude, taking the time to listen to what the students, staff, and parents need. It is my responsibility to ensure that our teachers are effective by supporting classroom instruction, providing professional development, and providing a curriculum across all grade levels that will support our students’ learning.
My most important responsibility is to provide a safe and engaging learning environment where each individual student can learn, be inspired, and grow academically as well as socially.
What is it that makes your school stand apart from others?
There is no other school in the Toledo area that is like HOPE Learning Academy. We are dedicated to being a successful school by focusing on the social, emotional, and academic needs of the students we serve. HOPE provides small classroom sizes, sensory integration, social skills, and arts integration.
We believe in:
- Helping each student reach his or her potential.
- Obtaining and implementing various teaching strategies to accommodate different learning styles.
- Protecting each student’s right to learn in a safe and healthy environment.
- Expecting only positive outcomes.
What do you love most about your job? I love that every day I have the opportunity to make a positive impact on those around me. My goal is to inspire others with kindness, grace, and positivity. I lead with patience and kindness with the hope that others feel the impact of that approach while working with me.
What is your educational philosophy? My personal philosophy of education is that all children are different and have different learning needs. Every child deserves to have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is my mission to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. HOPE provides a safe environment where students are invited to be themselves.
My personal mission is to teach, inspire, and help others to grow. HOPE Learning Academy is about giving hope to students and families that may have faced challenges in traditional classrooms. We individualize our education and instruction so that each student can learn and grow to their fullest potential. As the school leader, I am able to make a positive impact on the students and teachers that I lead.
