20 Under 40 | CHELSEA ARTZER
Photo by JOHN BURNS
As Principal of McClure Elementary, Dr. Chelsea Artzer leads the school in advancing each student’s academics, behavior, and social-emotional well-being; supervising and evaluating curriculum, instruction and student assessments; and establishing an effective and inspiring school environment through communication of high expectations for staff and students, enacting policies to ensure a safe and orderly climate, facilitating a leadership team and mental health team while maintaining visibility, cultivating teacher leaders, recognizing staff and student efforts, embedding fun morale building experiences, and fostering positive relationships with stakeholders.
Chelsea serves on the Topeka Public Schools Equity Council and as the Principal/Site Leader of the Washburn University School of Education Professional Development School.
Through Chelsea’s professional and personal pursuits, McClure has made significant gains on the state assessments and was recognized as only one of two Kansas State Schools of Character. This upcoming year, Chelsea will be leading McClure in exploring the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program to provide additional opportunities for students to build skills necessary for life post school.
What is the most important part of your work?
This quote by Todd Whitaker sums it up nicely: "The best thing about being [an educator] is that it matters. The hardest part about being [an educator] is that it matters every day." As a principal, it is imperative that my work as a leader is centered around advancing our school's mission and vision as well as ensuring a positive, supportive, and safe learning environment where every student receives a quality education each and every day.
What have you learned from the pandemic?
It's quite amazing what can be accomplished when we work together and have an innovative mindset. I will never forget the day I learned that schools would be shutting down and all of the thoughts and emotions that accompanied this realization that being in a brick and mortar school was not going to be our reality for quite some time. Yet, in less than a week’s time, educators in our city, state, country, and world were working tirelessly to find ways to keep educating our students despite this new reality. Not only did collective action ensure school still carried on, countless other creative supports were established, such as drive thru lunch distribution sites to parked buses equipped with WIFI hotspots for community members to access.
Click here to go to the full list of 2022 20 Under 40 Honorees.
