Fairview Elementary Principal Monte Ewing is set to take the stage at the upcoming Model School Conference to showcase the mindset and culture shift of her school.
When Ewing first submitted her application, Fairview Elementary Counselor, Jennifer Butts, knew her principal was a shoo-in.
“I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, she was going to get it,” Butts said. “…Ever since I’ve known her, she’s been a person that would always speak her mind. She has always been in the forefront doing something. She’s smart. I sit across the table from her and I know I am learning from her and I know it’s going to help me be more successful in the future.”
The Model School Conference recognizes educators and administrators who have turned low-performing schools and districts into success stories. It provides a platform for the presenters to detail the strategies and plans for attendees to emulate. Ewing, who attended the conference in 2021 and 2023, will present how she changed the culture and mindset of Fairview staff and students. She, along with select Fairview staff, will attend the conference this June.
Her presentation will be focused on how a small school, with less than 250 students and 14 teachers, created a learning environment that continued to drive students to succeed daily.
“I’m going to motivate them, I’m going to tell them that they can,” Ewing said. “You have to believe you can before you do anything. Every day, we are just instilling in them the aspiration and hope that they can.”
Although she continually attributes the school's success to her staff, Ewing’s leadership approach is rooted in kindness, compassion, and treating everyone with respect.
“It’s the teachers,” she said. “I lead in kindness, and I care about them and their families. …I treat people well. If you treat people well, they’ll do well. Everyone here knows I believe in them.”
The school has maintained an infraction-free record for three consecutive months and boasts the highest attendance rate in the district. The proof continues with Fairview’s recent accountability rating, climbing from a decade-long D to a C rating after one year under Ewing's leadership. This year, the students, staff, and Ewing have their eyes set on moving the school even higher.
Lanita Futrell, PE coach and math teacher, saw the success building from Ewing’s personality and contagious energy.
“(Our students) never had the experience of moving up before,” she said. “Now they know we can. Before (Ewing) came, the morale was down. Now, everyone is trying to match her level.”
Fairview Elementary has experienced a unique shift under Ewing's guidance, a transformation seen by her staff and students. Her energy, constant positivity, and collaborative approach have inspired not just academic improvement but a renewed sense of motivation among her students and staff.
“My teachers see me work,” Ewing said. “I’m not dictating. I’m working beside them. I teach. I plan. I make copies. Anything teachers do, I do it too.”