Michele M. Trawicki

Marcy Elementary School
Hamilton School District
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
trawmi@hamilton.k12.wi.us

As principal of Marcy Elementary School (MES) since 2008, Michele Trawicki has focused on building a cohesive structure of shared leadership, trusting community partnerships, and a reputation for high performance that she says is a result of “tactical planning and implementation of a rigorous curriculum.” With the goal of supporting instruction based on high standards for all students, Trawicki has adopted a “learning conversations” model of professional development that holds teacher voice and needs as the foundation. By implementing a Teacher Expertise Evaluation System, she has elevated self-reflection, peer feedback, and risk-taking in her staff, which in turn has led to various teacher-determined professional development initiatives. Eleven years into her tenure, Trawicki has a decade of successful PBIS implementation under her belt, having led the school to “School of Merit” and “Distinguished School” recognition. MES has consistently scored first in the county for state reading and math standards, with significant progress toward closing the achievement gap. The school has also scored “Significantly Exceeds Expectations” on Wisconsin’s State School Report Card every year since 2011 when the card was introduced. Prior to leading MES, which is a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School nominee, Trawicki served Tonawanda Elementary School as a teacher and administrator for 15 years. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Cardinal Stritch University.