Leader in Me Expands Locally
Springfield Public Schools implemented the 'Leader in Me' program across four elementary schools this week, positioning leadership habits as part of daily routines. District messaging ties the rollout to habit-building and student responsibility in K–5 settings.
Springfield Public Schools announced) on March 9, 2026 that Mann, Watkins, Westport and Jeffries elementaries are in year one of Leader in Me deployment under the 2025–2026 roll‑out. Jeffries introduced Student Leadership Notebooks [sps.org] where students track personal and academic milestones and the school plans to launch student leadership teams district‑wide in the fourth quarter. Mann teachers are using Leader in Me to scaffold fact‑fluency goal‑setting and have created cafeteria leadership roles with students signing up for 15‑minute shifts to support younger grades and manage transition tasks [sps.org]. District leaders framed the adoption as an equal investment in leadership, culture and academics, according to Dr. Beth Engelhart [sps.org], while principals reported measurable shifts in student agency and staff goal practices (staff “accountability buddies” for reading and hydration) during the year‑one implementation [sps.org].
