Skyward®'s 2021 Leader in Excellence Award
Congratulations to the 2021 Skyward® Leader in Excellence Award winners! Please click here for the full article of winners.
Illinois is proud to recognize the Illinois LIE winners! Tara Laidley from Mascoutah Community School District 19 and Kelly Mitchell from Deerfield Public School District 109! Congratulations to these outstanding leaders!
Tara Laidley (Qmlativ)
Director of Technology
Mascoutah Community School District 19
Tara is the director of technology at Mascoutah Community School District 19, where she was a pivotal part of helping the district organize and re-organize due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her district’s back-to-school plan consisted of switching between complete remote learning, hybrid learning, and in-person learning at various points in the semester, which included many teacher and schedule changes. Tara faced this challenge head-on, working hard to plan accordingly and creatively, all while making sure stakeholders were aware of the nuances of Qmlativ as it relates to scheduling. Tara’s involvement in the solution provided an effective end result during challenging times.
When Mascoutah Community School District 19 began its transition to Qmlativ over three years ago, Tara spent countless hours learning the system—and because of her, the district was able to get it up and running in time for the start of the school year. She acted, and continues to act, as the main point of contact for all things Qmlativ, including educating other staff members about the functionality of the program. Throughout all of this hard work, Tara keeps a positive attitude.
Kelly Mitchell (Qmlativ)
Business Office Specialist
Deerfield Public School District 109
In her role as the business office specialist, Kelly Mitchell was key in helping Deerfield Public School District 109 become the first district on a combined database to migrate to Qmlativ. By supporting, equipping, and motivating stakeholders throughout each phase of the Qmlativ migration, Kelly exhibited flawless leadership with grace and ease for over 500 staff members and thousands of families. While this duty may have been daunting for some, Kelly made it look simple. Now, District 109’s operations are steadily improving across all aspects of the district.
Kelly goes above and beyond in terms of leadership. In addition to having the technical expertise that her position requires, she also empowers others to realize their potential. She equips and encourages others to take the steps needed to achieve new levels of excellence, all while being relentlessly optimistic and positive, even when facing challenges.
District 109 has recognized Kelly on several occasions for exceeding expectations on a routine basis. She has also been formally recognized by her peers her through an office award program.
