Superintendent Spotlight – Dr. Lisa Muller, Pryor Public Schools
From classroom teacher in Jenks to Pryor Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Lisa Muller has enjoyed a rewarding career as an educator.
VYPE: When did you accept the position as Superintendent at Pryor Public Schools?
Dr. Lisa Muller: I became superintendent in July 2021.
VYPE: What was your position prior to taking the job?
LM: Before moving to the superintendent role in Pryor, I spent most of my career at Jenks Public Schools. I began as a classroom teacher there in 1997, and when I left, I was the Associate Superintendent for Educational Services.
VYPE: What do you enjoy most about working as the Superintendent of Pryor PS?
LM: Pryor is a community of great people who value and support public education and our school district.
VYPE: Did you have a mentor or someone you could lean on for advice during your career? LM: I’ve been in public education for thirty-five years, and I’ve been fortunate to have several people as mentors and examples of good leadership. Mike Means, former Jenks High School principal, supported me in my first job as an administrator and always modeled what it looked like to be an ethical leader who put his students and staff first. Dr. Kirby Lehman, former Jenks superintendent, hired me for my first central office role and taught me the importance of setting a vision and working as a team to carry it out. Jenks superintendent, Dr. Stacey Butterfield, continues to be someone I can reach out to for advice.
VYPE: Most rewarding part of the job is…
LM: The most rewarding part of the superintendent role is seeing students and staff benefit from opportunities and resources that we’ve put in place at the district level. For example, we are wrapping up projects from our 2022 bond issue right now, and it’s exciting to see the new classrooms and athletic facilities in use after all the work that went into passing the bond, planning for the facilities, and completing construction.
VYPE: Your message to the students at PHS?
LM: Students in Pryor have a wealth of opportunities to discover the best pathway to the future they desire. I encourage students at PHS to take full advantage of those opportunities to find their passion and prepare for success in college, career, or the military.
VYPE: What does the future of education look like for Pryor Public Schools?
LM: In Pryor, we have four areas of focus for our students: safety and wellbeing, academic excellence, leadership, and career pathways. We want to empower every student to discover their genius and own their learning. Work will likely look very different for our students when they enter the workforce. Our job is to equip them with skills that will allow them to adapt to change and continue to learn throughout their lives.
