KIMBERLY PIETSCH MILLER
After a 30-plus year career in public education, Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools Superintendent and CEO, Dr. Kimberly Pietsch Miller, announced her intent to retire effective July 31, 2023.
The Eastland-Fairfield Board of Education accepted her resignation for the purpose of retirement at the district’s Board meeting held on Jan. 11. She will continue to serve in her role as superintendent and CEO through the duration of her contract, which expires at the end of July.
“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the students, staff, and families of Eastland-Fairfield as well as our partner school districts and business partners,” said Miller. “The accomplishments of our district over the past three years are many, and I am thankful to the board of education for their support, their visionary leadership, and their partnership. The work of our public schools is paramount to our success as a nation, state, and in our communities. It has been my honor to serve students, staff, and communities in Ohio for more than 30 years.”
Miller said events in her personal life have led her and her my husband to determine it is time to return to their family in Cincinnati.
“Columbus has provided both professional and personal successes over the past nine years, but I miss my family,” said Miller. “I look forward to continuing to serve our district and communities through the remainder of my contract.”
Miller was hired to lead Eastland-Fairfield in September 2020 and took the reins on Jan. 1, 2021. Under her leadership, Eastland-Fairfield built and instituted a new five-year strategic plan that will continue to guide the district’s work. More programming has been made available to high school students through the introduction of Robotics & Automation, Firefighting, STNA, and Sports Medicine programs. Multiple programs have experienced expansion with the creation of additional sections including Teaching Professions, Employability Prep, and Pre-Nursing.
Beyond the student lab experience, the EFCTS academic curriculum has been reimagined to tap into students’ interests by including more inquiry-based learning opportunities. This work plus an effort to improve the EFCTS student experience has led to more high school students being presented with an opportunity to receive a career-technical education experience, as seen through the district’s record enrollment numbers entering the 2022 school year.
Adult Workforce Development programming also experienced growth with the addition of two new opportunities in the trades, Plumbing and Facilities Maintenance. The vision has been set to offer State Tested Nursing Assistant and Licensed Practical Nursing programs in Fall 2023 as part of an adult medical pathway, as well as an Industrial Automation program in 2024.
Miller’s focus on community engagement has resulted in a dramatic increase in business partnerships, work-based learning opportunities for students, and an elevation in the school’s profile around Ohio. In addition, Eastland-Fairfield successfully completed a district-wide rebranding effort that highlights its strategic plan, new logo, colors, and image.
At the Feb. 9 board of education meeting, the board voted to retain the services of the Ohio School Board Association to help conduct the search for the next superintendent/CEO of Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools.
