MMS earns Lighthouse School designation

By Editor | February 15, 2017 |

TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
The Maryville Middle School Student Lighthouse Leadership Team poses in a staircase with principal Kevin Pitts. Maryville Middle School was recently named a Leader In Me Lighthouse School, a designation only bestowed on 268 other schools in the nation.

Maryville Middle School has reached the top of the mountain.

Last week, Maryville Middle School was named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School, meaning that they have achieved outstanding results in school and student outcomes by implementing the Leader in Me process.

The Leader in Me is a personal development system developed by the Franklin Covey Company, based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Maryville Middle School principal Kevin Pitts said the designation is the culmination of the Leader in Me journey, but there’s still more to do.

“Schools can’t apply for Lighthouse status until they’ve had the curriculum implemented for three years, and most schools take around five years to get there,” Pitts said. “We got there in three years, on our first application, which is extremely rare.

“While that’s awesome for us, that’s just a piece of what we do here at Maryville Middle School. Like any curriculum, when you reach a milestone, you can’t just stop there, you have to keep pushing forward and get better.”

Pitts said that’s the best part of being an educator: knowing that there’s more to do to keep getting better at what you do, even if you are the best at it.

Around the world, there are 3,057 schools implementing the Leader in Me curriculum. Only 271 have received the Lighthouse distinction.

Maryville Middle School is one of very few middle schools in the nation to have received the distinction, as most of the schools implementing the curriculum are elementary schools. However, Pitts noted that more middle schools were implementing the curriculum.

Maryville Middle School is also one of only five in northwestern Missouri schools to implement the curriculum, and one of two to receive the Lighthouse distinction, along with Skaith Elementary School in St. Joseph. Franklin Covey Company education practice leader Sean Covey said Maryville Middle School was a great example of exactly what the company looks for in Lighthouse schools.

“We’re thrilled to recognize Maryville Middle School as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School,” Covey said. “Schools who achieve the Lighthouse Milestone are great examples of a strong leadership model, process, and of what it means to be a Leader in Me school.

“This school has experienced transformational results by implementing the principles and practices related to The Leader in Me. We are so pleased to celebrate the success they are experiencing.”

Lighthouse schools are set apart by the visible impact they have on staff, students, and the community in general.

For Maryville Middle School, Pitts said the distinction reflects the hard work from teachers and students.

“I get the opportunity to be one of the leaders, but the school’s real leaders are in the classrooms each day, working directly with the students and helping them to become leaders in their own,” Pitts said. “They’re the real heroes here.”