Mt. Comfort principal to serve as mentor
GREENFIELD — The Indiana Principal Leadership Institute recently announced that Heather Whitaker, principal at Mt. Comfort Elementary School in Greenfield, will serve as one of 11 mentors for the institute’s third class, with 63 principals.
Prior to her current position, Whitaker spent eight years in the Mt. Vernon Community School Corp. in Fortville as a teacher and then as assistant principal.
Whitaker received her bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and her master’s in educational administration from Ball State University.
She was a member of the first Indiana Principal Leadership Institute cohort, which graduated in April, and was a 2015 Indiana Association of School Principals District 10 Principal of the Year nominee.
Before moving into education, Whitaker worked for the United States Gymnastics Federation for 12 years.
Housed at Indiana State University’s Bayh College of Education, the institute is a two-year experience designed to address the professional needs of Indiana public school principals with an emphasis on student success.
It was created by the Indiana General Assembly in 2013.
During their time with the institute, the principals develop and implement personal and school improvement plans, facilitate action research projects designed to improve their schools and build a network with other principals to gain support during and beyond the institute experience.
The mentors play a key role in guiding the principals through their action research projects and facilitate small-group learning activities with the participating principals at regular regional focus groups and institute seminars.
The mentors were selected through a collaborative effort between Indiana State University and the Indiana Association of School Principals.
For more information about the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute, visit indianapli.org.
