Mildred B. Janson Elementary of the Rosemead School District to Become Second Leader in Me Legacy School in the World at School Celebration

FranklinCovey Education today announced it will present Mildred B. Janson Elementary of the greater Rosemead School District in Rosemead, CA with the prestigious Leader in Me Legacy School recognition at a celebration event at the school on February 25, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. Mildred B. Janson is only the second school in the world to receive this recognition, following A.B. Combs Elementary, the first Leader in Me and Legacy School in the world. Its former principal, Muriel Summers, will speak at the event, and representatives from Panda Cares, the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group, which has sponsored and funded the Leader in Me model at the school, will also attend. As this is a closed event, only invited guests may attend. The event is being recorded and will be available on the school’s website on March 11. (Press: to attend, contact Michelle Drain at 626-288-3150 x 451 or at MDrain@Rosemead.K12.CA.US).

Leader in Me is an evidence-based PK-12 model, developed in partnership with educators, designed to build perseverance and leadership in students, create a high-trust culture, and help improve academic achievement. This model equips students, educators, and families with the leadership and life skills needed to thrive, adapt, and contribute in a dynamic world.

Leader in Me is built on the proven and best-selling leadership development content in The 4 Disciplines of Execution and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which are key components. With Leader in Me, students learn to become self-aware, interdependent, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, be considerate of others, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, live a balanced life, and contribute to society. The model has been implemented in thousands of schools in more than 55 countries.

Legacy School recognition is the highest honor for Leader in Me schools, as a Legacy School exemplifies a strong leadership culture by unleashing the highest potential in students, staff, families, and community. A Legacy School stands as a global beacon throughout the world of greatness cultivated over time.

“Over the last decade, and as only the second school in the world to receive this award, Mildred B. Janson Elementary has and will continue to exhibit extraordinary results in the areas of leadership, culture and academics,” said Sean Covey, President, FranklinCovey Education. “The contribution the school has made to the education community is truly remarkable. This award honors the principal, staff, students, supportive parents, families, inspired administrators, and Panda Cares, which has so graciously sponsored the school. The credit and recognition go to the entire Janson Elementary community and to everyone who has been involved in any way!”

“Panda has supported Mildred B. Janson Elementary’s journey to becoming a Legacy School since day one,” said Tina Hsing, Panda Cares Director. “We support the leadership and character building of youth across the country, and we are proud that Janson Elementary has reached such a high level of excellence in helping the youth to thrive for better lives.”

With 550 students attending, 77 percent of which qualify for free or reduced lunch and 44 percent are second language learners, the mission of the Mildred B. Janson Elementary School Community is to educate students in a safe, nurturing environment while promoting academic excellence and providing opportunities to be responsible citizens in a diverse society (see Janson Elementary School Community).

Alejandro Ruvalcaba, Rosemead School District Superintendent, said, "On behalf of our Board of Trustees, I would like to congratulate Mildred B. Janson students and staff for earning this 'Leader In Me Legacy School' award. The Leader In Me 7 Habits framework is a signature practice for all schools in our district. Rosemead students develop leadership skills in addition to succeeding academically and fostering a positive school and community culture. We would like to thank FranklinCovey and Panda Cares for partnering with us and supporting our school district."

"I am honored and humbled to be part of a great school family,” said Dr. Gabriel Cardenas, Mildred B. Janson Elementary School Principal. “To have Mildred B. Janson Elementary named as only the second ‘Legacy School’ in the world is such an honor. We are blessed to have amazing students, staff, families, Panda Cares, and a Rosemead community who work closely to do what is best for our students. Our team believes that there is a leader within every student, and it is our job to help them find their voice and talents."

Before becoming a Legacy School, a Leader in Me School has the opportunity to become a Leader in Me Lighthouse School, which typically occurs three to five years after a school begins the Leader in Me model, and which is attainable by every school. It represents a significant benchmark, as evidence that a school has implemented the Leader in Me model with fidelity and excellence. Lighthouse Schools must exemplify the following criteria to be considered for Legacy School recognition:

• Lighthouse School Certification has been sustained for a minimum of eight years.
• The school exhibits innovation and sustained growth to sustaining levels in the majority of Lighthouse criteria. To see more information about Lighthouse Schools, visit here.
• The school has made and continues to make a distinctive contribution to the Leader in Me community or the education community at large. To see more about the Legacy School recognition, visit here.

Mildred B. Janson Elementary has met these criteria with the following achievements:

Leadership:

• The school’s system for student leadership roles is an exemplary student-run comprehensive process, moving from a system of teacher- or student-elections to a system wholly designed and run by students.
• There is a comprehensive application and interview process for their Student Lighthouse Team—students interview other students, interviews are scored, and students sign contracts to signify their commitment, they take pride in their leadership roles and the contribution they are making to improve their school community.
• Students have pioneered in the virtual learning brought by Covid, innovating through creating FlipGrid video lessons around leadership principles for classes. Students regularly learn about the 7 Habits from student-created lessons taught virtually.

Culture:

• The culture among the staff is one of trusting relationships and a common commitment to the school’s mission. This culture is boosted by thoughtful approaches to collaboration around data and leadership, staff learning, and continuous growth.
• The staff is committed to providing a safe, secure, disciplined and nurturing environment and shares responsibility with students for their academic, social and emotional growth.
• Everyone is recognized as having potential and is given opportunities to learn in different ways.
• The school supports and fosters a culture that is respectful, responsible, and encourages collaborative attitudes toward human diversity.

Academics:

• In 2008, Mildred B. Janson Elementary was ranked at the 62^nd percentile when compared by Schooldigger.com to other California Elementary schools.
• The school became a Lighthouse School in April, 2011.
• Since that time, the school has shown steady academic growth, rising to the 83^rd percentile in 2019, the last year data is available. (source data here)
• The school was recently named California Distinguished School in 2020 (here).
• The Mildred B. Janson Elementary community’s approach to schoolwide goals and goal tracking is exemplified with clarity and alignment. Students know their goals, the progress they have made and will make toward those goals, and how their work impacts the school as a whole.

Leader in Me training includes establishing vision for the school or district, goal setting, personal-accountability systems and is aligned with commonly held best in class educational research, content and best practices. At the core of the Leader in Me model is the belief that every child possesses unique strengths and has the ability to be a leader. The foundation of Leader in Me is its PK-12 framework, the See-Do-Get model, and the Student Leadership Portrait and competencies.

Leader in Me is implemented through an educator professional development model. Teachers and staff learn key concepts and integrate into existing systems. FranklinCovey has robust implementation support to ensure success for individual schools, district-wide, distance learning, and online delivery of content. Coaching supports implementation excellence and sustained achievement across all implementation modalities.

Leader in Me is having a significant, measurable impact on schools all over the world and in the lives of millions of students, parents, teachers, and administrators. To learn more about the impact the model is having, visit http://www.theleaderinme.org/what-is-the-impact/.

Nearly 5,000 public, private, and charter schools across 50 countries have adopted the Leader in Me model, and more than 600 Leader in Me Schools have achieved Lighthouse Certification. All have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of A.B. Combs Elementary and Mildred B. Janson Elementary and to join them in becoming a Legacy School.

About FranklinCovey Education

For nearly three decades, FranklinCovey Education has been one of the world’s most prominent and trusted providers of educational leadership programs and transformational processes. FranklinCovey’s programs, books, and content have been utilized by thousands of public and private primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools and institutions, including educational service centers and vocational schools in all 50 states within the United States and in over 150 countries.

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