“We have opportunity and a connectivity and just the great community support for the schools,” Maney told this news outlet. “Even transitioning into this position, meeting people, community members, it’s just constant community support, and so that really was very, very attractive to me to join a school district that is part of the core of the community, and a community that values the education of their kids.”
Maney, who started as Miamisburg’s superintendent earlier this month, joined Butler County’s Lakota Local Schools as assistant superintendent in August 2023.
She worked at Dayton Public Schools for years before that, directing the district’s human resources department from summer 2021 to summer 2023.
She also served as the principal of DPS’ Kemp Elementary for five years, and taught in Dayton for 11 years before that. She spent the 2020-21 COVID-affected school year as principal of Beavercreek’s Ankeney Middle School.
Maney said that she saw a lot of success with her staff during her various leadership roles.
“Those things really prepared me for, in a small sense, working with kids and staff and families and stakeholders, but then transitioning to central office position, both at Dayton Public Schools, running their human resources department, and then Lakota as assistant superintendent,” she said. “You really get the opportunity to work at the district level to impact more people, more leaders, more change.”
She said students are “always at the front” of her conversations and decision making process.
“We have a lot of great momentum going and what I’m hoping is that continues,” she said. “I’m hoping that for staff, whether it’s teachers, custodians, secretaries, administrators, I’m just hoping it’s a good, positive year where we see a lot of positive student outcomes, lot of growth in our students, and we keep the students at the center.”
She said some of her proudest accomplishments at Lakota were centered on making student progress and growth.
“I was able to work with principals and teachers and staff and curriculum department to calibrate and refocus and keep focused our teaching and our implementation of what we do,” she said. “When you grow and develop your staff, the impact is directly correlated to student outcomes.”
Maney said that prior to her starting as superintendent, Miamisburg schools had adopted a new language arts curriculum to be aligned with what Ohio is expecting to see with the science of reading implementation across the state.
“That is a big change for us, but it’s a change that was kind of already rolling and so I’m looking forward to us just continuing in that way,” she said.
She said she’s not sure that the Miamisburg City School District needs any large-scale changes.
“What I am certain of is there’s been a lot of good things happening, and we want to compound the impact of those good things, so we’re excited to start this new language arts curriculum for (grade) K through five and, right now, everything’s going really well as far as that goes.”
Maney said she could not address how her approach is similar to or different than her predecessor, Laura Blessing, having not worked with her, but that it is “certainly collaborative” and student centered.
“I believe in collaborative leadership,” she said. “I believe in being very open minded and open ears to all the stakeholders. I’m very into listening, listening to what our staff needs, listening to what our families need, listening to what the community desires.”
Maney said she’s impressed at how strong Miamisburg schools staff is.
“You come in with your eyes wide open and willing to make change if needed, but I’ve not found that to be the case (here),” she said. “I’ve just been so highly impressed with every staff member I’ve come in contact (with) and the quality of staff that we have here.”
She said the excitement and energy in the district are “palpable.”
“I look forward to keeping going with this positivity, and I look forward to continuing the greatness of Miamisburg schools,” Maney said.
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