Women Who Lead in K-12 Education: Yetta Lewis of Gestalt Community Schools
Yetta Lewis has spent 25 of her 32 years in education at Gestalt Community Schools and has seen the growth of both the teachers and the students.
The pandemic/post-pandemic period was the perfect time to show leadership.
The metro area's top administrators, educators and teachers have had to deal with a lot of uncertainty and upheaval. They are probably the hardest-working people in the city, second only to the health care workers.
Memphis Business Journal’s next group, Women Who Lead: Honoring the top female educators from kindergarten through grade 12 seemed like a logical choice.
It is also logical to highlight the achievements of women who have smashed through the glass-ceiling and helped define their organization.
The editorial team of MBJ has selected women who have qualities that define leadership. These include keeping school operations running smoothly, developing curriculums, and adjusting technology processes. They also possess the leadership necessary to promote student success in classrooms and on campuses.
The 10 Women Who lead honorees in K-12 education have held many different positions encompassing diverse experiences. This informs the way each educator approaches various aspects of leading a school or its programs.
Women who Lead is a monthly feature sponsored by Paragon Bank that appears in MBJ.
CEO, Gestalt Community Schools
She has had a wonderful career, thanks to the growth of both her teachers and students. She cites as a noteworthy accomplishment being awarded the TN SCORE Award for academic growth and achievement in middle school. It's a great reminder of the power of a community of educators, students, and parents.
Yetta continues Gestalt's trend to grow its quality teaching candidates within the company through teacher residencies, and the state's Grow-Your-Own programs. She is also focusing on the need to elevate school cultures, social-emotional education, and mental support/staff to serve outcomes for students and families.
She is a CEO who oversees and supports the high-quality school for families and students in Southeast Memphis. This support includes establishing goals, securing funding, and monitoring academics, operations and finances as well as overall compliance.
Quote
"My next goal is to continue improving academic outcomes for our students by creating a pipeline within the school for teacher and leader development, and giving students the opportunity to describe their career and educational pathways."