First Female Leader of Fresno Schools Vows to Know Every Student by Name
Source: https://edsource.org/
Misty Her, interim superintendent of Fresno Unified, has embarked on a deliberate approach to her new role by prioritizing listening and learning. Despite her long tenure in the district spanning over three decades, she has conducted numerous “listening” sessions with various stakeholders, including students, district leaders, parents, and community members. Her goal is to understand their perspectives and needs thoroughly.
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Appointed on May 3, following a national search for a permanent superintendent, Her emphasizes the importance of knowing each student individually, echoing her commitment from her earlier roles as a bilingual instructional aide, teacher, and district leader. She intends to continue these sessions and implement changes based on the insights gained, focusing on personalized support for students throughout her tenure.
Misty Her made history as Fresno Unified’s interim superintendent, becoming the first woman to lead the district since its establishment in 1873. Her appointment also marks a significant milestone as the first Hmong leader of the 70,000-plus-student school system, reflecting Fresno’s substantial Hmong population, the second largest in the U.S. after Minneapolis-St. Paul. Her personal background, born in Laos and raised in Fresno, underscores her deep connection to the community and understanding of its diverse challenges. She emphasizes the importance of representation and continues to engage closely with students to better serve their needs.
Misty Her, focusing on prioritizing classrooms and students, initiated a listening and learning tour by actively seeking input from elementary, middle, and high school students. She emphasized the importance of understanding their perspectives to improve the educational system, noting insights such as students’ desire for engagement and clarity on their educational preparation. Based on these conversations, Her developed a 100-day plan for Fresno Unified, drafted in May and June, centered around achieving tangible student outcomes as its core objective.
Misty Her emphasizes student outcomes as her top priority, driven by concerning statistics from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in 2023. A significant majority of Fresno Unified students did not meet state standards, with 66.8% below English language arts standards and 76.7% below math standards. Particularly alarming is the low proficiency rate of third-graders, where only 29% are at grade level in reading, a pivotal indicator for future academic success.
Her has launched the “Every Child Is a Reader” initiative to achieve first-grade reading proficiency early, focusing on tailored literacy plans across high school regions. The initiative aims to improve instructional quality, interventions, and community partnerships. Her discussions with students have reinforced the importance of teaching practical application alongside basic skills, highlighting the need for personalized support and resources to uplift students like an eighth-grader striving beyond his tested grade level despite challenges at home. Her’s approach underscores a shift towards student-centered goals that resonate with their needs and aspirations.
Misty Her, interim superintendent of Fresno Unified, attributes her career success to the support and mentorship she received despite academic challenges in her youth. She questions why some students receive support while others do not, motivating her commitment to equitable education. Her 100-day plan for Fresno Unified focuses on improving student outcomes by personalizing learning for each student, particularly for historically underserved groups like English learners and students with disabilities. This includes using data-driven insights to adapt teaching strategies and provide necessary supports without compromising academic rigor. Her goal is to ensure every student achieves proficiency by understanding their individual needs and providing tailored interventions.
Misty Her acknowledges there’s no simple solution to improving education and advocates for openness to unconventional ideas. She and Fresno Unified’s leadership recently attended Harvard University’s Public Education Leadership Project to explore strategies for enhancing educational outcomes. Despite her openness to new approaches, Her emphasizes the importance of thoughtful implementation, pushing back against initiatives solely driven by expansion rather than effectiveness, as criticized by the teachers union. While she occasionally rejects immediate implementation, she maintains a “for-later folder” to consider promising ideas in the future, demonstrating her strategic approach to innovation and improvement in education.
Misty Her prioritizes quality over quantity in Fresno Unified, focusing on improving student outcomes and achieving operational excellence. She has streamlined district goals to emphasize personalized student needs, implementing a literacy initiative and using real-time data for teaching strategies. Her emphasizes educator autonomy with accountability and personally visits schools to observe these goals in practice. For operational excellence, she aims for seamless coordination within the district to simplify processes for parents and ensure they receive effective support, reflecting her commitment to clarity and efficiency in educational management.
Misty Her sees her interim superintendency as an opportunity to demonstrate her leadership abilities to the Fresno Unified community, emphasizing her commitment to achieving positive outcomes for students. She acknowledges that her performance will determine whether she is fit to lead the district permanently. The superintendent search process has faced community criticism for lack of transparency and perceived political interference, prompting the school board to broaden its approach with coaching from the Council of Great City Schools. Despite challenges and racial harassment during the search, Her has drawn strength and resilience, refocusing on direct engagement with students and educators to reaffirm her dedication to holistic student development beyond standardized test scores. Her aims to create a school environment where students feel valued and connected to a greater educational purpose.
Image Source:https://edsource.org/
