Her ability to connect to others on a human and personal level has been described as one of her greatest assets. And keeping the focus singularly on children and youth has been the driving force behind the most difficult decisions she has had to make in the past several years � balancing the budget of the largest school district in South Carolina while keeping the economic burden primarily off schools and teachers.

�What impressed us most about Dr. Fisher is her consistent desire to lead in a way that motivates and challenges employees to be efficient and effective, and to stimulate student learning that ultimately leads to improved academic achievement,� said Molly Spearman, executive director of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. �It is evident from the numerous accolades that have been bestowed on the schools, administrators, teachers, and students that Greenville County Schools is flourishing under Dr. Fisher�s leadership.�

School Board Chairman Megan Hickerson said, �The Board appreciates Dr. Fisher�s continued focus on the children of Greenville County and their success. We witness her commitment on a daily basis and we are very proud that SCASA has selected Dr. Fisher for this outstanding honor. She is a true ambassador who is passionate about public education and providing high-quality opportunities for children across the state of South Carolina.� Since being named superintendent in 2004, Dr. Fisher has been at the helm during some of the school district�s biggest achievements: district-wide national accreditation; the completion of 70 schools through the BEST Building Plan; implementation of a broader spectrum of learning choices such as virtual school and twilight school; the creation of the Greenville County Schools Foundation; and numerous state and national awards for students, schools, and staff. Her emphasis on continuous improvement for staff is evident in the annual Leadership Retreat held each August for school administrators and department heads. Dr. Fisher uses this opportunity to lead the way in cultivating and nurturing professional growth.

Dr. Fisher knows that one key component to student success is creating critical thinkers. She firmly believes that with more information available to students, it is crucial that teachers teach children how to harness that information and use it to make good decisions. �Learning to observe a problem rationally and critically and to discover through research and evaluation the resolution to that problem is the skill that makes any employee in any career vital to the organization,� she said.

Another accomplishment under Dr. Fisher�s tenure is the opening this fall of A. J. Whittenberg School of Engineering, the first elementary engineering school in the state to have a comprehensive engineering curriculum for all students and Greenville�s first school on the community schools model. As a direct result of Dr. Fisher�s initiatives, Greenville County students have consistently outperformed their national peers on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and scored above the state average on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and above the state and national average on the American College Test (ACT). In addition, the percentage of AP tests taken by GCS students that score a three, four, or five has improved from 43% in 2005 to 57% in 2009. Likewise, 10th grade students passing the High School Assessment Program Exam on their first attempt, has improved to 81.9%.

Dr. Fisher was selected as the District�s ninth CEO in May, 2004, after previously serving as Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff. She joined Greenville County Schools in 1996 as Assistant Superintendent of Middle School Education, after serving 10 years as an associate superintendent and principal in Montgomery County Schools (Maryland). Dr. Fisher�s lifelong work in education began as a teacher in New Jersey in 1969. In the course of her career, she has served as teacher, principal, Assistant/Associate Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, Chief of Staff, and Superintendent. A native of Virginia, Dr. Fisher began her post-secondary education studies at St. Paul�s College in Virginia, earning a bachelor�s degree in 1969. She began post-graduate work at Rutgers, earning a masters degree in education in 1972, followed by a doctoral degree in 1984. She also completed post-graduate studies at UCLA and the University of Utah.

Dr. Fisher serves on boards for the United Way of Greenville and the Alliance for Quality Education. She is also a trustee for Spartanburg Methodist College and is on the Board of Commissioners for Greenville Technical College, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Pleasantburg, the South Carolina Association of School Administrators� (SCASA) executive board, and the South Carolina Superintendent�s Roundtable. In the fall of 2009, she was awarded a National Future Farmers of America Honorary Degree and was named Public Servant of the Year by the Boys and Girls Club of Greenville. Dr. Fisher is a lifetime member of the NAACP, and a boul� member (leadership council) of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

The National Superintendent of the Year program, established in 1988 and co-sponsored by ARAMARK Education, ING, and AASA honors school administrators based on the following criteria: leadership for learning, communication skills, professionalism, and community involvement.

SCASA is the professional organization for school leaders in South Carolina, with a membership of more than 2,900. From professional development opportunities and research, to publications and legislative advocacy, SCASA�s focus is to support school leaders in providing the best possible education for South Carolina�s young people. As a state affiliate of three national associations for school leaders, SCASA also works on the national level.

(Image provided by Greenville County Schools.)

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