Ledbetter pushing Pima Butte to highest standards

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Pima Butte Elementary School has become synonymous with accomplishment and high standards. Latest AIMS testing has reflected that the school is continuing in its achievements and improving upon its previous success.

It is ranked by the Arizona Department of Education as the only Excelling School in Pinal County.

The school is led by Principal Korrin Ledbetter, who attributes the school’s achievements to the collaboration between community and staff.  

“My motto this past year has been Together Everyone Achieves More, TEAM,” Ledbetter said. “I have to say that it is ‘team’ work between the staff, students, parents and community. Everyone works together for a common goal, to help students be the best they can be.”

A native of the area, Ledbetter’s experience in education field goes back 19 years. She started as a fourth-grade teacher in Casa Grande and taught grades K-6. She later pursued her masters in elementary education at Northern Arizona University. Ledbetter was an academic coach at Pima Butte for three years prior to accepting the principal position last year.

“I was fortunate to know the students, parents and staff as I worked side-by-side with them daily. This made for a very easy transition,” she said.

Ledbetter said her leadership skills were shaped opposite of what she remembered of her principals.

“I always viewed the principal as someone in charge of the school, but I didn’t see him or her walking around the school or in classrooms very often, if ever,” Ledbetter said. “There wasn’t much interaction between the principals and the students. In fact, I don’t remember seeing him or her talk to the teachers either.

“I am the opposite as a principal. I want to be in the classrooms sitting with the students and asking them what they are learning.”

Ledbetter said today’s education process has changed in many ways. She said technology is vital and teachers must incorporate it into their classrooms. She also said the assessments play a role in performance standards and called them critical for accountability.

***ADVERTISEMENT***Ledbetter said going through the district’s budget process was one of the most difficult aspects of her job. However, despite the busy schedule and budget impact, she prioritizes her day to make sure she visits and gives proper time to students.

“She’s very active and always concerned with how everyone is doing,” said Pima Butte PTO president Samantha Ross who moved to Maricopa from the Dallas area. She said the school her children were attending in Dallas was one of the top schools in their district.

Ross said Pima Butte was outperforming the Dallas school and has been impressed with how it fares to even other top schools in Arizona. Her older children are now entering high school. She believes the school and the district are moving in a direction that’s better than what most people realize.

“There is certainly an energy in the district that people should know about,” she said. “At Pima Butte the test scores are off the charts, and each year all the schools seem to just be getting better. Korrin is doing a great job of pulling everyone together, keeping everyone focused and is always making herself available to make for a positive, nurturing, and encouraging environment.”