LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Amy Hughes was nominated by Lisa Graff, a colleague.

As she begins her 25th year of education and 14th year as principal of Abbott Middle School, Amy Hughes is energized and deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of children, staff and parents. As a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, she has intentionally accomplished this mission by setting high academic expectations for all children and providing supportive systems to ensure they are met. By addressing school culture, setting high standards for teacher performance, increasing academic expectations for all students, and engaging the community, it is her goal that all students achieve to the highest of their potential. In all of these roles, Mrs. Hughes has always held an excellent reputation amongst students, parents, and staff as a caring educator who acts in the best interests of students and their families.

Mrs. Hughes believes that middle school is a vital bridge between elementary school and high school—it is also a period when young people, often for the first time in their lives, begin actively seeking a sense of purpose and place. She believes that it is her job to provide children with opportunities, while also keeping them engaged, challenged and supported.  She demonstrates her belief that all children are gifts with limitless potential. She works to unite the entire school community so they can not only help children develop their own unique skills and talents, but prepare them for continued success far beyond their early adolescent years.  

There are many examples of how she accomplishes these tasks. One example is her involvement and expressed concern about her school’s struggling readers. Mrs. Hughes was - and continues to be - instrumental in bringing the Read 180 program to Abbott Middle School and placing the district spotlight on reading.

 "I have seen countless students grow leaps and bounds in their reading skills and confidence as a result of their participation in the Read 180 program," a teacher in this program stated.

If it weren't for Mrs. Hughes' leadership, Read 180 would not be offered as an opportunity for students. She has also led the implementation of other academic programs that have made a huge difference in the engagement and success of students, such as the AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) program and, most recently, the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) program. Her involvement and support in the launch and continuation of these programs has been integral to their success at the building and district levels.

Mrs. Hughes has consistently put herself in the role of a learner by educating herself on the best practices related to each program. She regularly attends and participates in AVID Site Team meetings and district STEAM meetings to learn, ask questions, and offer big picture ideas. She makes it clear that she trusts the teachers responsible for each program, and she considers them the true experts.  

Mrs. Hughes has a passion for learning and sharing effective instructional practices. She regularly shares new techniques she sees in teachers’ classrooms and supports and encourages teacher collaboration. She also passes along articles she reads about effective teaching practices and issues relevant to student learning.  Additional initiatives that Mrs. Hughes has helped advance include:

• WEB (Where Everyone Belongs), a student to student mentoring experience that supports incoming sixth grade students as they make the transition to middle school
• the implementation of the sixth grade Fine Arts experience, giving all students the opportunity to learn an instrument, sing and act
• a Girls Who Code Club
• an after school academic support experience for students who are experiencing academic difficulties at school

In addition to the academic programs she has helped launch, Mrs. Hughes has also been responsible for implementing and supporting extracurricular programs that have made a positive impact on the students, staff, and culture of Abbott Middle School. She established a Social Justice staff committee and supported the implementation of the student Social Justice Leadership program. In addition to regularly asking teacher leaders to present to the staff on certain topics, she has also guided the implementation of Abbott’s first Culture Fair, which involved over 100 families and was recognized at the district level for its impact on promoting positive relationships in the community. She has established her school’s first National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), which has helped encourage the highest achieving students to stretch higher and make a positive impact  through community service. None of these programs would have been successful without her continued support and encouragement. The implementation of the NJHS program resulted in over 1,000 community service hours being performed in the community.

Her leadership responsibilities throughout this time have included being an instructional leader for a staff of more than 40 employees, evaluating staff members using the Charlotte Danielson Framework, and being a mentor to six assistant principals. She has proven her leadership capacity time and again, wherein all of her previous assistant principals have moved on to administrative promotions, including district superintendents, school principals at all levels, and other leadership roles within and outside the district.

"It's overwhelming to imagine all the students who have been impacted by her amazing ability to train building leaders across the district and state," Graff said. "She is an invaluable resource in learning how to reach all staff and students and inspire them to regularly meet and exceed expectations. She has successfully done this while creating a school atmosphere that is highly conducive to student learning and high levels of achievement. Throughout her tenure at Abbott, Mrs. Hughes has proven herself to be an intrinsically motivated individual, a natural leader, and an exceptional mind."

As an administrator, Mrs. Hughes is hardworking, thoughtful, reflective, and fair. She is extremely supportive of her staff and is always conscious of how much is on their plates. When new initiatives and expectations arise, she partners with the staff, rather than making teachers feel like new expectations are being imposed without support. She has high expectations of her staff, making it clear that it will always take hard work to make sure all of her students succeed. She also helps create staff buy-in as a primary method of insuring and inspiring accountability.

Mrs. Hughes' door is always open, and her honest, open communication style has always made staff feel they can be honest with challenges faced in the classroom and reach out to her for support when needed. She listens and asks thoughtful questions that challenge thinking and encourage self-reflection. While her primary intention is clearly to serve in the best interest of students, she truly cares for her staff, as well. She will do anything she can to support them and put them in touch with the resources they need.  

Perhaps one of her greatest strengths is helping to foster professional growth and cultivate leadership qualities in others. One example of this is her support and encouragement of teachers to participate in the ISD Galileo Leadership Academy, which inspires and fosters teacher leadership. Galileo teachers try new practices and take risks in their classrooms, and Mrs. Hughes is always supportive and encouraging through this process. She urges staff to step outside of their comfort zones and share what they have learned. She encouraged one staff member to use Standards-Based Grading for a book club with her PLC, as well as create a presentation about the power of Growth Mindset for the entire staff. Mrs. Hughes observes the unique strengths and passions of the teachers on the staff and provides opportunities for people to share their knowledge and talents in a variety of capacities.

Mrs. Hughes has successfully completed her Ed.S. degree and encourages other staff to do the same. This past year, she has increased her professional knowledge and involvement through MASA’s Navigate Leadership Program.  She has also participated in many professional development activities to intentionally advance the MTSS initiative in her school and district. She also is a trusted mentor, employer and employee. 

"Most of us have known Amy for over 20 years as a teacher, principal and mom, and have come to not only admire her love of children, but her persistent belief that every child can achieve more than you can imagine with compassion, hard work, and a curriculum designed to reach their highest potential," Graff said. "Her student body knows she cares about them and that she expects them to work as hard as her teachers work for them. With her staff, she continually asks for analysis of the curriculum so revisions can be made to ensure student progress."

Mrs. Hughes has high expectations for her staff, and they want to work hard for her because her vision is their vision. She places enormous trust in her staff, and they appreciate the creative freedom to try new things, revise and try again. She is always a true facilitator in getting teachers to challenge themselves, with constant encouragement and support in a safe environment. Her door is always open, and whether it is a student, parent or staff member, no one is ever made to feel that she doesn't have time to talk.

"Amy has a tireless work ethic, exceptional people skills, and years of experience working for children in the state of Michigan," said Graff. "She is an incredible LifeChanger in our community."