West Fargo, ND – (April 27th, 2023) – Surrounded by colleagues, friends, and family at a surprise ceremony this afternoon, a West Fargo Public Schools’ curriculum and instruction coordinator was honored with the district’s prestigious staff award. Jill Leier, a curriculum and instruction coordinator for West Fargo Public Schools, was awarded the 2023 – 2024 Administrative Staff of the Year Award.

Ms. Leier has worked for WFPS since 1985, starting at Eastwood Elementary and taking on an administrative role at the district office in 2010. Leier holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in elementary education from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Minot State University. In her nomination it was said that “Jill Leier has transformed elementary curriculum and instruction over the years that she has been a coordinator. Because of her, mathematics teaching has moved from route memorization to problem solving, reasoning and sense making of mathematics. Through this transformation, she constantly embraced new ideas and found ways to teach educators so that impactful strategies were implemented into the classroom. Jill has spent over three hundred hours being trained by Math Recovery, which has allowed her to train over 500 K-12 educators in math instruction so educators in West Fargo can learn how to make every student a mathematician.”

As the Administrative Staff of the Year honoree, Ms. Leier receives a crystal apple, flowers, a gift from the district and the School Board, and a $500 check from the West Fargo Educational Foundation. Additionally, she will be an honoree at the district’s recognition party on Monday, May 22 at Horace High School.

ABOUT STAFF OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Every year, West Fargo Public Schools recognizes three district employees with a Staff of the Year Award. Nominees for the award are nominated by colleagues, students, parents, and/or community members through a letter of support highlighting the nominee’s commitment to education, professional development, and dedication to the West Fargo community. Each nominee’s supervisor is then asked to provide a letter indicating their support, and wishes, for the nominee to be selected as the award’s recipient. The program’s selection committee, comprised of community leaders, School Board members, past award recipients, retired and current administrators, selects one nominee to receive the Professional/Licensed Staff of the Year Award, one nominee to receive the Classified Staff of the Year Award, and one nominee to receive the Administrative Staff of the Year Award.
Award winners are announced each spring at a surprise announcement ceremony and are recognized at the district’s annual recognition party.
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