LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dr. Ellen McWilliams-Woods's nominator wishes to remain anonymous.

"Always say 'YES' when asked to do something."

"Is this transformational?"

"Never take "NO' for an answer."

"Look for possibilities and opportunities."

"Keep your options open."

These are just a few examples of the inspiring phrases spoken by Mrs. McWilliams-Woods over her 35-year career as a teacher and administrator with the Akron Public Schools. These words, and much more, personify her as a deserving recipient of the LifeChanger of the Year Capstone Award.

Her career focus as Chief Academic Officer/Assistant Superintendent of Akron Public Schools has been to close the opportunity gap for students. Mrs. McWilliams-Woods believes that every one of her students, regardless of their experiences or poverty level, can perform and often outperform any student in the United States. To ensure this, over the last eight years, she has tirelessly worked to pioneer change in the traditional high school experience through the development of the College and Career Academies of Akron (CCAA). Mrs. McWilliams-Woods believes in building connections with people and growing relationships. She has enlisted the support of hundreds of business and community partners and institutions of higher learning. By bringing in experts in the field, educational experiences for students are enriched. Ultimately, students will be prepared for college, career, and life.

Successfully launched in the district's seven high schools, the innovative College and Career model is now being implemented at the middle schools and eventually in the elementary schools. Mrs. McWilliams-Woods secured $1.5 million in grant funding from a national organization to deepen the PK-12 transformation, specifically with the Elementary CCAA, which prioritized comprehensive student development and social and mental wellness. This grant also supported student and faculty equity strategies to proactively focus on the whole child, create positive relationships, and improve school climate. The work has impacted the 21,000 students in the Akron Public Schools and is mobilizing the community to overcome barriers to good jobs that lead to great careers. This initiative has made, and will continue to make, significant, unique, and lasting contributions to the community and workplaces.

In addition to championing the College and Career Academies model, Mrs. McWilliams-Woods has led enhancements to other Akron Public Schools buildings. For example, she built on the International Baccalaureate Program (IB)'s success at Firestone Community Learning Center (a 9-12th grade school). She expanded IB programming to the middle and elementary schools that join Firestone in the district's "Firestone Cluster" of schools. As a result, one middle school and four elementary schools are authorized as IB World Schools.

The philosophy of IB is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, confident, and caring young people. Mrs. McWilliams-Woods envisioned that Akron's youngest learners, from kindergarten through eighth grade, would benefit from the IB program's focus on empowering students to take ownership of their learning and develop skills to thrive in a fast-changing world. As a result of her vision, 1900+ students are engaged in an IB curriculum that recognizes the learners' innate potential to inquire, question, wonder, and theorize about themselves, others, and the world around them to make it a better place.

Over her career with Akron Public Schools, Mrs. McWilliams-Woods has written grants to federal, state, local, and national organizations to garner funds to advance students and teachers. She served as the district's first Medicaid consultant and created a new school-based Medicaid program. This program brings over $1 million annually to the district and provides many services to students. Mrs. McWilliams-Woods authored the $9.1 Million Race to the Top grant in 2010, which provided funding over four years to support the development of high-quality teachers and leaders, improve data systems, prepare for updated content standards, and align supports to the district's lowest-performing schools.  

Mrs. McWilliams-Woods is an inspiring leader who rises to any occasion. When COVID-19 forced school closures in 2020, she knew that the students in the district would need extraordinary resources to navigate the challenges. She was awarded yet another $1.5 million grant from a national organization to take stock of how students experience remote learning and the imminent return to the classroom.

"With Ellen's leadership, she guided us to take a step back, focus on the student beyond academics, and find ways to wrap-around support. She wanted us to see the whole child and the whole family as we navigated through a most unprecedented time in education," said her nominator. 

She worked with her leadership team to set up a 'command center,' appropriately named "After Hours Support Center." She staffed this center from 4-7 PM Monday-Thursday and on Saturdays from 10-2 with a myriad of staff who could offer support, encouragement, and linkages to resources for each family's unique needs:

• K-12 teachers addressed students' academic needs.
• School counselors were available to provide counseling and handle urgent social-emotional needs.
• Technology support specialists were on hand to resolve connectivity issues.
• Family Resource Coordinators helped meet family needs regarding access/referrals to basic needs (food, clothing, rent/mortgage/utility assistance, transportation to access services, financial coaching, and family health/mental health services).
• Interpreters were on standby to assist the English Language Learners.

This holistic approach to outreach resulted in close to 10,000 calls made by students and families throughout the pandemic. Lessons learned during COVID-19 uncovered the need to meet the needs of students beyond the school day. Therefore, this pandemic strategy has become a standard practice for all students in the Akron district. Mrs. McWilliams-Woods, a game-changer, made this, and much more, happen.

Mrs. McWilliams-Woods serves on the Board for Project GRAD Akron. This nonprofit educational reform program believes every student should graduate from high school and have college access regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic background. Her service to this organization aligns with her core values of advancing students. Her presence on the board offers a link to academic resources and college access experiences for underserved students.

Mrs. McWilliams-Woods also serves on the Board of Directors for Conexus NEO, a nonprofit workforce development organization. Conexus NEO helped inform the vision for the College and Career Academies of Akron by focusing on high-demand skills regional employers were seeking in their future employees. Her service with this organization helps to connect teachers to companies and higher education institutions to cultivate relationships and align curricula to meet the region's current needs.

Mrs. McWilliams-Woods is an alumnus of the Leadership Akron Class of XXVI. She remains active with the Alumni Association, creatively and purposefully designing and hosting the annual "Education Day" for the current signature class each year. She immerses the participants in an authentic educational experience that prompts takeaways that may lead to more intentional support for the public schools. The participants tour several schools, meet with students and staff, and learn about each school's diverse and unique traits. This day-long event engages participants in the "Tale of Three Students," highlighting individual stories of students from preschool through high school. At the day's end, the Leadership Teams are asked to suggest a path forward for each student that they have been learning about. The culminating event is to meet the students in person, with the opportunity to talk with them and ask questions. It typically is an emotional day for the participants. One participant noted, "Today is a great real-life example highlighting the complexities, diversities, inequities, and complications students face." Ultimately, the experience is eye-opening; the group can see beyond their own spheres to the broader implications of how they might offer support.

An alumnus of Kent State University, Mrs. McWilliams-Woods was inducted into the Education Health and Human Services (EHHS) Hall of Fame in 2018, being recognized for her achievements in education. In March 2022, she received the Summit County Historical Society's Woman of the Year award, recognizing her contributions throughout Summit County.

Her faith is the foundation of her extensive service and leadership activities, which positively impact the lives of our school community. She has strong values that she commits to living out every day. She makes the most of the opportunities presented to her by taking on key roles. Mrs. McWilliams-Woods is creative and innovative in seeking meaningful service and leadership opportunities. She strives to remove barriers to ensure that everyone has equitable access to opportunities.

Engagement with youth is her passion, and she welcomes all, especially those who need love, support, or community. Annual mission trips with her church youth group to work with underserved populations lead to deeper conversations and a call to action to make resolutions to meet the needs of their own communities. When high schoolers recognized the need to provide community meals after a 2012 mission trip to Washington, D.C, they launched monthly community meals with Mrs. McWilliams-Woods' guidance. She insisted that the meals were served on "real plates" with "real silverware" instead of paper plates and plastic utensils, hoping that community members who came to the meals would know that they were important and seen. The community meals continue to this day, driven by youth who have passed on lessons learned from Mrs. McWilliams-Woods about how to be the change. Whether it is a hot meal, a coat drive, or restoring homes in urban neighborhoods, her tireless efforts to engage young people to be of service and leave the world a better place become rooted for them through their experiences with her. They take these lessons with them wherever they go, multiplying her positive impact.

Mrs. McWilliams-Woods is a role model as a woman who lives authentically. She is an inspiration who champions others, lifts them up, encourages them to recognize their own greatness and to go forward, and always offers hope. She is a trailblazer in her personal and professional life. Regardless of what she is doing, everything in her life leads back to the importance of relationships. She believes that if you always prioritize strong, genuine relationships with the people you meet, anything is possible.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that tens of thousands of students and people of all ages throughout the Akron Public Schools and Summit County have personally benefited from Ellen's dedication, determination, and can-do attitude. While public recognition isn't what motivates Ellen, her lifetime of service to the community deserves to be celebrated," said her nominator.