MINADEO
RISING
PRINCIPAL PEGHER’S TWO YEAR SUCCESS STORY IN FORGING A NEW PATH FOR MINADEO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL By Jennifer Petrie, SHUC Education Committee
IN AUGUST 2018, PRINCIPAL MICHILENE PEGHER entered the halls of Minadeo Elementary School, a K-5 public school located in Squirrel Hill, ready to take the school on a new path towards success. As I entered Minadeo School last month, I instantly recognized that a real positive transformation was taking place in terms of student proficiency, student safety, culture of learning, resources available, and even the school’s appearance. Principal Pegher is making enormous strides at Minadeo, and her captivating story shows school transformation and success can happen in Pittsburgh Public Schools with the right mission, resources, and a steadfast leader determined to hold herself and the school accountable for success.
When the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s Education Committee sat down for our conversation with Principal Pegher, we were taken by her passion, energy, and confidence in her mission to raise the standard of success at Minadeo. To improve learning outcomes, Principal Pegher restructured the school day to have students change classes allowing students to receive specialized instruction in reading and math, which experts state can raise test scores.
...a real positive transformation was taking place in terms of student proficiency, student safety, culture of learning, resources available and even the school’s appearance.
As I walked into Minadeo Elementary in January, the first thing I noticed were physical improvements made to the school since I had last visited Minadeo back in the spring of 2018, before Principal Pegher started. The walls are beautifully covered with student artwork and repainted a new color enhanced by brighter lightening from the new ceiling lights.
In addition to increasing student learning, Principal Pegher’s most significant transformation has been in improving student safety and reclaiming a culture of learning at Minadeo. A new disciplinary policy has been put in place to foster positive behavior and hold students accountable. The result is far fewer disciplinary transgressions and distractions in the classroom and a school that Mrs. Pegher says is safe and orderly. Minadeo’s increasing success is largely a result of Mrs. Pegher having high expectations for all students, taking personal control of discipline, contacting parents, setting clear and consistently enforced boundaries, directly communicating with the students, teaching mutual respect and courtesy to all, CONTINUED on page 15
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