Pictured is Briana Kelley, EL teacher at Leesburg Elementary. Photo provided by WCS.

News Release

WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools was recently spotlighted by University of Virginia’s Partnership for Leaders in Education as a district that is leading the way to embrace transformations in education following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past several years, WCS has been part of the PLE program with the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and Curry School of Education. “PLE is one of the nation’s top leadership programs for educators,” shared Dr. David Hoffert, WCS superintendent. “Seeing our transformative work spotlighted in their national report on the New Frontiers of education further validates that our educators, administrators and community partners are making strides in the much-needed work to accelerate learning and rethink education.”

The “New Frontiers’’ report was released yesterday and recognized WCS for its investment in staff, which provides scholarships for dozens of employees to pursue a multitude of degrees and certifications at no cost. These opportunities have included transition-to-teaching degrees, reading endorsements, educational specialists post-master’s degrees and educational leadership master’s degrees and many more.

Briana Kelly, EL teacher at Leesburg Elementary, added, “I am currently completing a transition to teaching program through Teachers of Tomorrow. About six months ago I got a job serving, on top of coaching two cheerleading teams and teaching full-time. There were many nights I came home and cried because of how tired I was, only to get up the next morning and do it all again. Thanks to Warsaw Community Schools, the remainder of my transition to teaching program is being covered, and I’m officially debt free. Today I have happy tears. I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach and continue to grow and learn as an educator at Warsaw Community Schools.”

The report highlights WCS’s inventive solutions to attracting and retaining staff. “David Hoffert and his leadership team in Warsaw Community Schools jumped into action and created unique partnerships with universities where qualified district personnel taught courses and maintained the program integrity. In return, the universities agreed to offer a more cost-effective degree program, which for the past two years, came at no cost to staff.” The report argues that education systems and dynamic leaders that embrace change will succeed at creating an educational environment that is more equitable and prepares students for their futures.

“Our New Frontiers report spotlights the most successful education leaders who are courageously rising to the moment and making once-in-a-generation investments and changes to their educational systems for the benefit of their students, their staff and their communities,” said William Robinson, executive director of UVA-PLE and co-author of the New Frontiers report. “Districts like Warsaw Community Schools that innovate and embrace change will thrive, and the districts that choose to ignore or, worse, resist transformation put themselves and their students at risk.”

Pictured is WCS’s Bluffton University’s Master Cohort. Photo provided by WCS.