Kendra E. McMillan

Lena Whitmore Elementary School
Moscow School District
Moscow, Idaho
mcmillank@msd281.org

Dr. Kendra E. McMillan has served as principal of Lena Whitmore Elementary School (LWES) since 2010 and prides herself in cultivating a familial, relationship-centered culture with a rigorous focus on student success. When she took leadership at LWES 12 years ago, McMillan established a purposeful and comprehensive multi-tiered system of supports targeting both academic and social-emotional learning goals, now firmly embedded in the culture of the school. While LWES has faced academic setbacks like any other school due to the pandemic, the strength of this system was clearly illustrated in a 10-point gain in iStation assessments in 2018-2019 and a 15-point gain from Fall 2019 to Winter 2020 prior to pivoting to distance learning. Of all of her duties, McMillan takes most joy in professional collaboration and supporting the development of aspiring and practicing educators. For example, she led a K-5 district-wide committee of elementary school teachers, counselors, and psychologists to establish critical social and emotional standards and examples of evidence. Further, since 2007, she has led more than 20 graduate and undergraduate courses, covering topics ranging from collaboration with parents to frameworks for understanding poverty in education, most of which have been offered for credit through Northwest Nazarene University, where she earned her Doctor of Education degree. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Eastern Washington University and Education Specialist and Master of Education degrees from the University of Idaho.