Amy Mims-West is an accomplished education professional with a diverse background. Her various titles include Special Education Teacher, Special Education Specialist, Principal, Executive Director, Deputy Chief of Curriculum & Instruction, and Chief of Schools. With a passion and proven track record for enhancing student achievement, Amy has led transformative efforts in a variety of educational settings. 

From improving performance in high-poverty schools to developing comprehensive network infrastructure and accountability systems, Amy’s strategic leadership has enabled her schools to find success and surpass performance targets. Everywhere she has served, Amy has spearheaded groundbreaking strategic initiatives, and provided expertise in instructional design and professional development which has generated exceptional academic outcomes for students and earned national recognition. 

Early in her career, Amy served as principal of two highly-challenged South Carolina schools. During the summer of her second year, she found herself lying on the floor of her office, crying to her mother on the phone that she had lost all control of the job. In her mind, there was no way she could continue to work the way she had been working. That same day a Breakthrough Coach promotional piece landed on her desk, and she enrolled in the Foundations Course. After completing the course, Amy was SOLD and has integrated The Breakthrough Coach system into every one of her subsequent positions and districts.

She attributes her early career success in South Carolina to The Breakthrough Coach. Under her leadership, her teams’ efforts resulted in significant increases in student achievement. These increases are all framed in an innovative, child-centered culture that positively impacts entire communities. 

In 2008, Amy was recruited to join Chicago Public Schools as the district’s Deputy Chief of Curriculum and Instruction, and later as Chief of Schools for CPS’ largest geographic region. Her efforts led to statistically significant increases in grades 3-8 literacy and math. While in those roles, she introduced the entire CPS system to The Breakthrough Coach as a means of empowering the district’s instructional leadership focus. 

In 2014, Amy returned to Charleston, S.C. as Executive Director of the Meeting Street Schools Network, an innovative non-profit that collaborates with families and communities to create unique environments where children, regardless of socio-economic background, can receive a rigorous education and reach their full potential. While at Meeting Street, Amy’s schools earned national recognition, including the National Blue-Ribbon Award of Excellence. 

Amy holds a B.A. in Special Education from the College of Charleston, an MAT in School Administration from Converse College, and an ED.S in Educational Leadership from USC.

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