Dr. Carmen Maring

Gull Lake Middle School
Gull Lake Community Schools
Richland, Michigan
[email protected]

Carmen Maring has led Gull Lake Middle School for eight years, building on her previous experience as a dean, a school counselor, and an assistant principal. During her tenure, many of her most successful initiatives for instructional and school improvement have been so effective that they have quickly been adopted at the district or county level. For example, after successful implementation at the building level, Maring’s instructional coaching program and approach to instructional rounds have both been replicated, going on to elevate teaching practices beyond Gull Lake. Maring has also taken an innovative approach to school achievement that is now the norm in her district. Rather than attempt to reach three or four school improvement goals at once, Gull Lake Community Schools now identify one top-line goal that all school stakeholders work toward. Recently, Maring guided her staff in identifying literacy as a top priority, setting the goal for all students to “read, write, and speak with purpose,” which took center stage in dialogue and data analysis across all professional development activities, ultimately leading to increased achievement over three years. The school has also become an exemplar of STEM education under her leadership, with all students gaining hands-on learning experiences before graduation. Maring holds a B.A. from Hope College, an M.A. from Western Michigan University, and an Ed.D. from Michigan State University.