Beginning in May 2020, Nicole Schmidt, vice president and chief academic officer at LUMIN Schools, co-led a COVID-19 task force responsible for creating LUMIN’s 2020-21 school year reopening plan.
LUMIN Schools is a network of Lutheran voucher schools with seven campuses in Milwaukee, Wauwatosa and Racine.
Her leadership in the reopening process resulted in LUMIN offering five days a week of in-person instruction and a newly created, separately staffed online school that served nearly half of LUMIN’s students.
Formulating the reopening plan, advising seven schools on new health and safety guidelines and creating LUMIN’s first-ever online school was a significant undertaking, according to Rebecca Ehlers,
LUMIN’s chief communications and talent officer.
“Yet, Schmidt remained a trusted, admired and steadfast leader. She even taught 8th grade reading on top of her already overbooked schedule,” Ehlers said. “Schmidt is passionate about mentoring and empowering educators. Within LUMIN, she created a teacher advancement plan that provides a clear pathway for teachers to advance within their practice. She has implemented a teacher and leader coaching program to ensure students have best-in-class educators to guide their learning journeys.”
