Unsung Hero: Janice Lindsay
By Mandi Favreau
Smack in the Middle of MMS is a door you would walk right by if you didn’t know it was there. This unassuming little room is the hub of all things tech in our district, and in the corner desk sits the woman who keeps all the data flowing to our parents.
“We call her the PowerSchool Guru,” said Technology Director Adam Murray, “but that’s a limiting name for what she has been involved with.”
Powerschool Administrator Janice Lindsay has worked in the district in a variety of capacities since 2001. Over the years, Janice has been an in-school detention monitor, substitute teacher, part-time secretary, scholarship coordinator, support technician, and web content coordinator, often holding multiple positions at one time.
In addition to staying on top of our student information system, Janice currently works with the MHS guidance department to maintain transcripts, store grades, and run honor roll reports; she also spends several weeks each spring helping complete the daunting task of scheduling.
Janice is part of the ongoing discussions around the implementation of standards-based grading and works to build customizations within PowerSchool to meet the needs of the district.
As if this wasn’t enough, Janice maintains scholarship funds, manages data in the district’s broadcast notification system, and has created several digital form processes to eliminate paper and streamline operations.
“When our teachers, parents, and students click on PowerSchool, they expect it to work,” said Superintendent Carl Gartley. “We expect reliable data. That is what we get. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented professional making all of this happen.”
Outside of her work for the district, Janice is the board chair at her daughter’s school, Riverview Memorial, in Norridgewock. She loves to travel and spends as much time as possible camping in Bar Harbor. She has also developed a love for Escape Rooms over the past few years.
“Janice has a witty, persnickety, and caring personality which has driven her success at RSU 18,” said Murray, “and we cannot thank her enough for her dedication.”