Nearly 5,000 people work to provide and support a quality education to more than 30,000 students in Des Moines. From school administrators and educators to bus drivers and technology professionals to food and nutrition providers to financial experts, these dedicated DMPS employees are committed to providing the best possible experience for students and families. Each month the Become Here Spotlight will shine on an administrator, an educator and a staff member to share a little more about the many people working to teach and support the children and students of our community, and in the words of those who nominated them for the recognition.

JAYNETTE RITTMAN
Edmunds Elementary School

Jaynette Rittman has been the principal at Edmunds Elementary School for the past ten years.  She came to Des Moines Public Schools in 1991 as at kindergarten teacher at Moulton Elementary.  Jaynette has worked in multiple leadership roles in her career prior to becoming a principal in DMPS.  She is an impactful leader who puts effective systems in place to meet the needs of every student at Edmunds.  Jaynette is a strong instructional leader who coaches teachers to reach their full potential.  Jaynette has mentored and grown many leaders throughout DMPS during her career.

FATEN HLEIHEL
Merrill Middle School

Below is the transcript of what Faten Hleihel (6th and 7th Grade Math) wrote and spoke to the Merrill staff to launch the school year.

“Fifteen years ago, I was new to Merrill like you. I started my first year of teaching in this country and here I am. This place is my station or base where my plans and dreams for the future started. I grew here professionally like I’ve never done in my life. Same at the human level. I deeply feel and appreciate that I have a big responsibility towards our future generations, our communities, and this planet as well. It is not an overwhelming feeling or dream, working at Merrill made me feel capable of making positive changes in the lives of our students. I get excited every year with what we can do with students in our classes. I get thrilled with the strategies we use to help students show their thinking and make their ideas visible to others. At Merrill we have a collective commitment to making the world a better and more peaceful, liberated world. We accepted this challenge and work hard to achieve our dream.”

Thank you, Ms. Faten, for making the world – including the Merrill community – a better and more peaceful place.

LYLE CRONE
Transportation Department – Full-Time Bus Driver

“More Than A Bus Driver”

Our drivers, associates, mechanics, dispatch and staff are the unsung heroes of the predawn and post dusk light.  Lyle Crone started his transportation career as a bus associate.  With his can-do attitude and desire to drive the big yellow fellow he quickly and exceptionally moved through the difficult training process of becoming a professional commercially licensed driver with school bus and passenger endorsements.  This year Lyle decided that he was going to test his knowledge, skills and expertise by expanding his knowledge base in driving a wheelchair lift bus.  He specifically wanted to bid on a route that included our Ruby Van Meter Students.  This endeavor has challenged and opened his eyes, heart and mind more than he even imagined possible.  The compassion and empathy he feels for his students and families go far beyond his yellow school bus.  In most recent days The Director posed to him a child who ended up needing Lyle as much as Lyle needed him and neither of them knew until they met.  Said child has not been given the opportunity to be transported in a school bus in any way known to us.  Lyle was determined to give this child a chance that they had not been given.  He spent several days introducing the child to the bus and letting them get comfortable with it.  Then the child let Lyle take them for a ride around the block.  Lyle went out of his way to notice the things that sparked interest and comfortability with the child and transportation and quickly went to task in getting them things for the bus ride that made them comfortable.  They went from a child who was terrified to a child who can’t wait to see Lyle and his special bus show up everyday to bring him into school.    Shout out to Ruby Van Meter for helping in support of this transition and the amazing work they are doing everyday with this child.  Also shout out to the amazing driver who refused to give up and in the end has gained a new outlook on what he does every day and how much it means, that one child can change your life forever.