by Jeremy Sullivan
Amanda Montileone’s journey as an educator started in a small southwest Missouri school district and took a detour to the St. Louis area before placing her here with Springfield Public Schools. Her background as a blended learning specialist and a high school English teacher, most recently at Central High School, fueled a desire to ensure that all learners, adults and students alike, have what they need reach their goals and experience growth. This year, her role as the learning specialist at Glendale High School and Pershing Middle School lets her do this each and every day.
Trust forms the core of all relationships, and according to Melisa Colvin, 6th grade ELA teacher at Pershing, “Amanda is completely trusted by the staff at Pershing. She blends seamlessly into the work we do here and offers tremendous amount of support to every teacher. Amanda is knowledgeable in her craft and gracious in her delivery. We are blessed to have her as part of our team here at Pershing.”
Josh Groves, principal of Glendale High School, explained “Amanda’s work in professional learning, coaching, mentoring, and professional learning communities has a direct, positive impact on our climate and culture, which impacts our students’ learning and academic success. She models professionalism, kindness, and intentional focus in her work with all staff.” These sentiments were echoed by Dr. Lisa Anderson, assistant principal at Glendale. “Amanda supports Glendale High School in so many ways from leading training sessions to supporting our professional development and late-start Friday work. Additionally, Amanda has been ever-present as we continue the work toward wall-to-wall academies. An important piece has been offering coaching cycles to teachers who ask for extra help as they seek to improve their craft”
Whether as a classroom teacher, blended learning specialist, or learning specialist, Amanda always plays an integral role in building the capacity of those around her. As Dr. Anderson put it, “We truly value her.”