After nearly 32 years of service to students and families across the City of Jamestown, Ring Principal Annette Miller, a longtime Jamestown Public Schools administrator, will retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year.

“I’ve learned so much from working in Jamestown,” said Miller. “Jamestown has a diverse population and allows you to expand your understanding and grow in your knowledge.”

“Annette has been such a strong advocate for our kids, developing a caring atmosphere at Ring for many years,” said JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker. “Her numerous interactions with parents, kids and staff highlight her commitment to teamwork and her support of everyone involved with Ring School. While we are sad to see her go, we are all happy that she is able to move into a well-earned retirement and can spend more time with family and friends.”

Miller joined JPS in 1993 after spending the early years of her career as a first-grade teacher at the former S.S. Peter & Paul School. In January of 1994, she was appointed to a full-time teaching position at Love Elementary School. After four years at Love, she spent 15 years at Bush Elementary School, where she eventually became the building’s Reading Coach, working closely with Tina Sandstrom — then Bush’s principal; now the district’s assistant superintendent for instruction and school improvement.

Annette Miller, Ring principal, reads with UPK students. Miller, a district employee for 32 years, will retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year.

“I’ve had the great fortune of working with Annette for nearly 20 years,” Sandstrom said. “All along, her passion for the children in our community has been evident and we are so grateful for the years she has dedicated to helping our children and staff achieve their greatest potential.”

In 2010, Miller was appointed as the district’s literacy coordinator, serving as a conduit between classroom teachers and building principals across JPS in promoting different literacy initiatives and professional development.

“I loved working with the district teachers,” Miller said about her role as a coordinator. “I hope that I was able to share my knowledge with them and they were able to share their knowledge with me.”

The special thing about working in Jamestown, she noted, is the opportunity to take advantage of ample professional development opportunities.

“You are never done learning and isn’t that what education is all about?!” she said. “I’ve always been proud of the work that I’ve done and what I have learned while I’ve been in Jamestown. I am proud that I, in turn, have had the chance to apply this learning back into the classroom and that I ultimately was never done learning.”

In 2018, she was able to return to the building level, as Ring’s principal, where she was able to see her recommendations put into practice.

“When I worked in the District Offices, the content was more focused but the grade span was greater,” Miller said. “When leading a building your breadth of knowledge is greater but your grade span is more focused. You can feel a lot of trepidation when you learn something new but you can also feel exhilarated by it. It’s always exciting to learn something new and to share it with others.”

At Ring, she also has had the chance to work with a dedicated, caring staff.

“The most special part of working at C.C. Ring is greeting the children in the morning, seeing them at work throughout the day, and making a difference in the lives of children every day,” said Miller. “I am also thankful to the many skillful and compassionate people I get to work with every day. I am amazed at their ‘toolboxes’ and how they are able to connect with kids both academically and socially and emotionally.”

As for what she’ll miss? That’s a loaded answer, she noted. After three decades, it’s hard to pick just one thing.

“However, I’ll particularly miss the camaraderie with my colleagues at Ring School and the JPS Offices,” Miller noted. “I’ll also miss seeing the children learning every day and the smiles on their faces.”