Spotlight: Megan Park (WY '23)

Wyoming Milken Educator Megan Park is a kindergarten through third grade assistant principal at Gannett Peak Elementary School. Her passion for fostering professional, academic, and personal growth is evident in everything she does, from leading professional development with colleagues, to knowing all 440 students by name. She urges educators to focus on the good every day. “Educators have to make the personal decision of what they will and what they won’t let impact the way they show up each day. You get to be the filter of what will become your truths as a teacher.” Park received a 2023-24 Wyoming Milken Educator Award in Lander on March 12, 2024.

Milken Family Foundation: How have students responded since your Milken Educator Award surprise? 

My students have been so excited! There were a lot of initial questions from my kindergarteners and first grade students about how many Lamborghinis I was going to buy with the prize money. I have to admit that I was relieved when those questions started to taper off a few weeks after the award notification. Toward the end of the school year, I was talking with a few third graders about how I've always wanted to see a badger in real life (at a safe distance) and one of them encouraged me to use my award money to "make my dream come true." A special bonus from the award was that I had former students from my time in the classroom, including some I hadn't heard from in several years, reach out to send their congratulations and personal thanks for being their teacher. That has meant the world to me.  

MFF: Who are your role models as an educator? Is there an experience you had in the classroom as a student that shaped your practices or motivation to teach? 

Generally speaking, the kindergarten teachers of the world are my role models as an educator. The patience, adaptability, creativity, and love that is put forth in kindergarten is nothing short of incredible. Not only are kindergarten teachers ready for the unexpected at any given moment, but they also set the formal stage for our littlest learners to love school.  

Personally, during my years as a student, I was blessed with the fortune of having several teachers who positively impacted my life by modeling a deep commitment to students and leaving an indelible love for learning in my heart. During my elementary school years in Shelley, Idaho, my first grade teacher, Mrs. Chris Hobbs, and my fourth grade teacher, Miss Theresa Call, were both exceptional, student-centered teachers. Mrs. Hobbs cared for her students in such a sincere and dedicated manner; it was even obvious to me as a 6-year-old. She remained my steadfast pen pal well into my middle school years. Miss Call had a magical way of taking the simplest of fourth grade content and turning it into an exciting project-based experience. Whether we were mapping geographical features on Idaho-shaped cookies, trekking the Oregon Trail on cutting edge 1990s technology, or creating scale-sized solar systems with paper mache, learning was an adventure with Miss Call leading the room. I clearly remember wanting nothing more than to grow up and be a teacher like Miss Call.  

At Skyview High School in Billings, Montana, I benefited from two years of enrollment in a career-teaching course. Under the teacher mentorship of Mrs. Gaye Christensen, I spent an hour daily as a peer mentor in a classroom with students with significant functional disabilities. As I grew to know and love these individual students, I began to grasp the day-to-day realities of life in perspectives that I had not previously considered while learning about the importance of advocacy. My time as a peer mentor not only reaffirmed my decision to pursue a career in education, but it also ignited my passion to advocate for equity in education. I will always be grateful for the lessons I learned from Mrs. Christensen and her students. 

MFF: Tell us about your first year of teaching and/or administration. What memories stand out? Who or what helped you through it? 

My first year of teaching is exciting to think back on. I had completed my student teaching experience in preschool and first grade classrooms, and I was in every sense a brand-new teacher stepping into a resource room position in grades fourth through sixth. The incredibly supportive and knowledgeable team of special education staff at North Elementary took me under their wings and I was beyond lucky to have their professional guidance and friendship. Mandy Roseberry, Casey Widhalm, Mary Hansen, and Gary Hermes helped me figure out the things I didn’t realize that I didn’t know. We also had a lot of fun with practical jokes. One day I arrived at work to find every drawer and crevice of my desk filled with shredded paper; it was such a mess! I repaid that gesture by sneaking a live chicken inside the culprit’s desk a few weeks later.   

MFF: What do you hope students remember from their time with you? 

More than anything, I hope students remember that I genuinely cared about them. This question brings to mind my all-time favorite quote. Maya Angelou said, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I had this quote framed and hanging next to my desk in each of my classrooms, and it continues to serve as a guiding principle for how I try to carry myself each day. Whether students are proudly showing off their progress in academics, recounting a story about their weekend, or just needing a hug, I hope that they look back on the time we spent together and remember that I was there for them.  

MFF: Can you talk about the thought behind how you maintain visibility and build relationships within the school community? How does this contribute to fostering a positive school culture? 

Maintaining visibility is the way that I build relationships. The most meaningful conversations, observations, and interactions that I have on a day-to-day basis are the ones that unfold naturally by being physically present. To maintain visibility during busier times of the year, I literally schedule it into my calendar. I try to stagger these planned rounds at different times of the day and specific areas of the building. For example, on Monday mornings I’ll sit down and look at the week ahead and chunk out at least two blocks of time to purposefully be in each grade level hallway. I make it a point to be out at parent drop-off in the mornings to greet students as they begin their day and am generally in the lunchroom for at least two of the four lunch periods each day. This gives me the opportunity to sit with students and have individual conversations about whatever is important to them. 

A fun challenge for me when I started as the assistant principal three years ago was learning all 440 students by name; the time invested there has paid off because now I am able to greet each student by name every time I see them. Additionally, I aim to attend at least two collaborative team meetings of each PLC team per month. To that end, I schedule when I will be in those meetings directly in my calendar. I hope that this visibility communicates my investment in knowing where each team is at with data analysis, responding to students, and areas of planning focus while also illustrating my trust in their work by not being “too present” at their two to three meetings per week.  

Finally, I am more likely to respond to staff emails related to complex situations by having face-to-face conversations and problem solving in person. This saves time, decreases the possibilities of perception errors that come with written communication, and generally results in better situational outcomes and stronger working relationships. The John Maxwell “leaders go first” mindset resonates with me, and my hope is that by being highly visible and meeting my teachers and students where they are at, I am fostering a positive school culture by setting an example for others.  

MFF: You model instructional leadership at Gannett Peak. How important is it for administrators to spearhead instructional programs on campus? How have you applied your classroom expertise in your broader school role? 

It's critical for administrators to lead instructional programs because they set the tone for academic excellence and growth across the school. At Gannett Peak, I believe in hands-on leadership that directly supports our teachers and students. Drawing from my experience as an educator and continued professional development, I've implemented strategies that align with best practices in teaching and learning. By staying actively involved in curriculum development, instructional coaching, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, I aim to ensure that every student receives a high-quality education. This approach not only strengthens our instructional programs but also cultivates a supportive environment where both teachers and students thrive. 

MFF: What advice would you share with people who are interested in becoming teachers? 

If there is one truth that I have learned over the last 14 years, it’s that educators are also students. I would encourage people interested in becoming teachers to embrace the concept of lifelong learning, because the educational landscape changes quickly and it changes drastically. It has only been within the last five years that the Science of Reading, Restorative Practices, and formal Multi-Tiered Systems of Support have been areas of new learning and initiatives in my professional journey. With that being said, if I were to answer a question about the most impactful and important practices in my school, I would without a doubt be bringing up those topics. What’s really exciting to me is that five years from now, 10 years from now, and so on, those answers will keep changing. The field of education is always changing. To be an effective teacher, one must not only accept the necessity of continued, ongoing growth, but truly embrace the opportunities that come with it. 

The second piece of advice that I would share with people interested in becoming teachers is to remember that they get to be their own filter. Unfortunately, one does not need to look long to find negative narratives about the current state of reality within the teaching profession. My truth is that each day I am blessed to wake up and head to Gannett Peak Elementary where small miracles take place in each classroom, every day. I’m not trying to suggest turning a blind or ignorant eye on aspects of education needing reform, but I strongly believe that there is far more going incredibly well on a day-to-day basis in our classrooms than there is going poorly. Ultimately, educators have to make the personal decision of what they will and what they won’t let impact the way they show up each day. You get to be the filter of what will become your truths as a teacher.  

My final piece of advice: the school was there before you, and it will be there after you. Work hard, but work wisely to ensure you strike a reasonable balance between your work and home priorities.  

MFF: Are you working on any interesting initiatives or new projects these days? Is there anything else you want to share about your school? 

We are in the midst of such exciting work with the MTSS framework at Gannett Peak! I am fortunate to work alongside the most knowledgeable, innovative team of counselors and behavior specialists, and we are moving into our second year of enhancing our existing MTSS framework by ensuring that it encompasses the social, emotional, and behavioral world of our students. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but I could not be prouder to be part of such a dedicated, student-centered team.  

On an exciting personal note, I am looking into options for beginning a program that will result in a doctoral degree. This has been a long-term goal of mine for a while now, and I left the Milken Educator Awards Forum with the “10% bolder” challenge being the push I needed to take the leap and get started on this next educational adventure.