Kim Trent is a dedicated kindergarten teacher at Evans Elementary in the Fond du Lac School District. With 24 years of experience as an educator in the district, she has always been driven to inspire a love of learning in her students. In recent years, Kim has witnessed a transformative shift in Fondy’s culture, one that placed a new focus on student success and staff leadership. This has led to improved student achievement and a stronger, unified approach from staff, creating an environment where students thrive, and educators are making a deeper impact on outcomes than ever before.

Until recently, Fondy placed a strong emphasis on maintaining the comfort and satisfaction of teachers and staff, but this adult-centered approach inadvertently placed student success on the back burner. Even though the school had many dedicated educators, the district struggled with low student achievement and lacked a unified vision. Even the best teachers were limited in their ability to make a district-wide impact without clear goals and expectations.

A few years ago, Fondy shifted priorities to focus on student outcomes; setting clear, high expectations for both students and staff. This new student-centered approach involved aligning the district around shared goals and supporting teachers with additional resources in the classroom along with important trainings, such as Initiative One leadership training, to equip educators with the skills needed to make the greatest impact in students’ lives.

Kim has witnessed firsthand how these changes have positively impacted students and staff. “Over the last three years, we've seen an increase in student achievement across the district,” Kim says. “We've also taken pride in building the leadership skills of our staff, and not just following a top-down approach. We're training our staff to have important conversations and take on leadership roles.” 

Kim has also experienced the power of high expectations for learning. “The students are rising to the expectations, and you can see this with our report cards and our test scores,” Kim says. “If you have high expectations, they're going to meet you there, as long as you provide them the support and materials they need.” 

The results of these changes were affirmed for educators at Evans Elementary in 2023 when the school was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. This distinction honors high achieving schools that are closing the achievement gap. Kim feels this award reflects all the hard work and collaboration they have been doing for the past five years. “We are doing the right work and other people noticed at the state and federal levels,” Kim says. “It is really exciting, and we have to keep going.”

“I'm excited to keep seeing the growth and the impact that we're going to have on students because we've already seen the growth and the changes that have happened in the last several years. I'm also excited to keep growing as a leader and to see other people in the district grow as leaders and continue that growth in years to come." – Kim Trent