Deborah Evans-Claytor, Libby Middle School, devans1@cps.edu
Casey McLeod, Libby Middle School
One School, One Voice: Building Climate and Culture Within a School
Take a close look at how Arthur A. Libby Middle School uses the voices of students and staff to build a school wide climate and culture. Explore how the diverse voices within a school build a climate that is respectful and supports collaboration. Join us in discovering how the development of a common voice is an important component of any successful middle school.
Kurt D. Jones is in his sixth year of service to Arthur A. Libby Middle School as principal. His vision of Libby being “A place to dream big dreams and achieve big goals” has been manifested in Horizon School status for the school, and he never has lost his focus on student social-emotional well being in addition to academic excellence. Libby is one of few CPS K-8 schools with a Fine Arts Department, which allows every student to find a “knack” for expressing him- or herself through dance, art, music, or drama. He places importance on the voice of every stakeholder.
For the past four years, Deborah Evans-Claytor has served as the well-respected literacy curriculum coach at Libby Middle School after very successful experience in the classroom. Her strengths include collaboration, literacy strategies and setting high expectations for students, and her peers nominated her for the DRIVE Award.
Casey McLeod joined the Libby Middle School faculty this year and serves as the school’s math/science curriculum coach. She is a strong professional developer and has been a catalyst in CPS in establishing an effective Algebra program for children. As well as her background in professional development, Ms. McLeod brings experience in higher-order thinking skills and curriculum development to the Libby Team.