Dr. Virginia McElyea became Executive Director of the Teacher Incentive Fund Grant at ASU in January 2011. She has had an extensive career in education from high school teacher to school administrator to district administrator and most recently as Superintendent of the Deer Valley Unified School District. Her teaching and administrative experiences have enhanced her understanding of the educational landscape in Arizona and the need for continuous improvement of Arizona’s educational system at the classroom, the school and the district levels. This dedication has led to Dr. McElyea receiving numerous awards, including the Arizona Superintendent of the Year in 2009.
She also believes teacher and school effectiveness are the cornerstones of systemic reform. The TAP framework of multiple career opportunities, embedded professional development, instructional accountability and incentive pay will enable the schools participating in the grant to realize improved student achievement in reading and mathematics over the next five years.