Presenter outlines Leader in Me rollout for West Clermont schools

A presenter described Leader in Me as "a preschool through twelfth grade program," saying the evidence‑based model is intended to build leadership skills for students and staff and to create "a high trust school culture" across the district.

The presenters said the program's framework centers on "seeing, doing, and getting," meaning what students observe shapes their actions, and those actions determine outcomes. "So for example, 1 of the paradigms ... is that every everyone can be a leader," the presenter said, adding that leadership is taught as a skill for all students, not just a few.

Another staff member urged patience with implementation, saying leaders should think of the program "more as a crock pot and not a microwave," and argued the approach can extend beyond classrooms to connect families and local businesses. The staff member said Leader in Me communities elsewhere have used the program to develop a common language between schools, families and businesses.

District presenters said professional development for staff began this year so adults can model leadership habits in classrooms before students receive direct lessons. "We spent a lot of time and offered ... professional development to all of our staff to build up our own leadership skills so that we can go and model that to students," one presenter said.

Presenters outlined where direct lessons will occur by grade level: at the elementary level during homeroom, at middle school during advisory and at high school during "pack time," ensuring daily opportunities in the younger grades and regular lessons at higher levels. They said some concepts, such as "thinking win win," are universal but are adapted to age and context.

As examples of early implementation, presenters cited preschool students taking on new classroom leadership roles and middle and high school students forming "lighthouse teams" that partner with staff to identify needs and create action steps. "They're looking at what needs are in their building and they're making plans and ... putting in those action steps into place," a presenter said.

The staff member described the program as a way to make the district's Portrait of a Graduate a practical outcome rather than an aspiration, saying the goal is for students to graduate with the skills and mindsets that "will prepare them not just for something specific, but really for anything that they choose for themselves." The presenters said the implementation is ongoing and framed it as a long‑term, communitywide effort.

District officials did not provide funding details or a timeline for full implementation during the remarks. The presenters identified early classroom and student-team examples and said professional development is under way; no formal motions or votes were recorded in these remarks.