New site supervisor knows how to empower schools
Schools are more than walls and whiteboards . They are places that guide people to find their own strengths and assets . A carpenter can build a classroom , but it takes a leader to build a school . Unique experiences at different schools have empowered Meagan Hymes , Metro North ABE ’ s new central cluster site supervisor , to be that leader .
Meagan ’ s early education in Texas was at a Montessori school , where learners ’ voices guide the exploration of their learning . When her family moved to Minnesota in her middle school years , no other schools had the same approach to learning , so she attended a public school near her home . While other learners in her new school just followed along , Meagan was always thinking of how she could make learning more engaging and satisfying . She learned how to advocate for more creative solutions to class assignments and her learning .
This experience led her to work in education as an adult and to make everyone ’ s learning more focused on their strengths and desires . While working as an academic advisor at the University of Minnesota , Meagan focused on what learners need as they become adults . An opportunity to teach in an experimental school in Shanghai introduced Meagan to the challenge of being an adult learner herself . She learned how to get around , how to shop , how to eat , and what it was like to speak a minority language in a large city .
In China , she worked with college prep learners who wanted to attend school in America . Her role was not just to teach the academic components of college but to help learners understand the cultural expectations they would face in an American school , what success would feel like , what challenges may arise , and how to ask for help .
When Meagan returned to the United States , she took her experiences in helping learners to a new setting : incarcerated adults . She taught classes , first in Shakopee and later in St . Cloud and Metro North ABE . Again , Meagan faced learners who needed to gain academic skills but were also trying to understand the culture of the school . She relied on the skills she learned in middle school , focusing on the learners ’ strengths and motivations .
This bridge , providing academic skills but understanding how school cultures lead to learner success , makes Meagan the perfect fit for the central cluster leadership . Especially as some learners will continue to attend class online and others come in person every day , while still supporting our correctional institutions . Meagan will make certain that our school is a place where learners are valued , heard , and are on a path to success .
Filling the gap between Metro North ABE and a learner ’ s next step
Sometimes , all it takes is a door to open and one ’ s whole career unfolds in front of them . While our classes give learners skills in reading , writing , and math , we have known that learners face barriers to success once they leave Metro North ABE .
Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan , Metro North ABE hired Bai Vang , who has just the right skills to open doors for learners . Bai is a licensed teacher who worked in an elementary school for six and a half years . As an entrepreneur herself , she has a passion for business and is sparking the entrepreneurial spirit of our graduates .
Not only is Bai offering one-on-one college and career counseling for learners , but she is also leading our work in leadership skills . She has offered several short , intensive classes for learners to gain the skills they need to make the leap from school to career . She started with her class , “ Self-management : setting goals , the steps to achieve your goals and overcoming obstacles .” Courses followed this class in writing a resume , using the web to search for career opportunities , and interviewing skills .
Thanks to the leadership skills of Bai , Metro North ABE learners will graduate with the academic and professional skills they need to launch their futures .
3