Volunteer Highlight: Dr. Amy Stella

“This week’s Achieving Excellence (Systems) Review of 15 High Schools in the School District of Philadelphia was my first MSA Visit. I have served as an Internal Coordinator in two different districts, one using the Accreditation for Growth (AFG) model, and in my current district, using Excellence By Design (ExBD). Participating on an accreditation team visit is a rewarding professional experience, providing an opportunity to expand my professional network and closely examine best practices in other districts. While it is a time consuming process between the preparation for the visit, the time visiting, and report writing, MSA structures the experience by dividing the report authoring among team members. I’d encourage representatives of all member schools to participate on a visit at least once. It has deepened my understanding of the process and provided excellent ideas to implement in my district.”