Cindi Hemm, Eugene Field Elementary School, Tulsa

2011 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration

The winner of the Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration is Cindi Hemm, principal of Eugene Field Elementary School in Tulsa. The school had been built in 1922 and was “falling apart” when Hemm arrived in 2003. Located in a high-crime, high-poverty neighborhood, the school was surrounded by three housing projects and “looked more like a prison than a place of learning,” Hemm said. Of the 170 students who attended the school, 95 percent had parents who had not graduated from high school, and 75 percent had a parent who was incarcerated.

Hemm began re-inventing the school by creating a “culture of kindness and caring” and replaced half the teaching staff with those who shared her vision for putting students first. Under Hemm’s leadership, the school implemented a year-round schedule; instituted school uniforms, which were donated by sponsors; and became a member of the A+ Schools network to infuse art and humanities into the curriculum. Hemm reached out to parents and the community, increasing community sponsors from three to 30. Eugene Field students now participate in school-based mentoring programs and more than 26 after-school program offerings, ranging from scouting and sports to music and cooking.

The school also piloted a Global Gardens program to teach science through organic gardening and provide healthy produce to the community. Under Hemm’s direction, student attendance has grown from 170 to 430, and academic scores have risen from the lowest in Tulsa to some of the highest in the district.

Former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor praised Hemm as a “best-in-class” leader. “She took the concept of community school and embraced it with open arms with a vision to make sure each of her kids had what they needed to learn, all day, every day.”