Biography: Merry Sillitoe worked for twelve years as a middle school principal at two different schools in the fifth largest school district in the nation, the Clark County School District (CCSD) in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Prior to serving as principal, Merry experienced working at all levels in the school district. She was selected as the CCSD East Region Superintendent’s Administrative Assistant/Chief of Staff, the Data Analysis Coordinator for seventy-five schools, wrote grants and plans to improve student achievement, and provided training for groups of teachers and administrators at the CCSD Curriculum & Professional Development Division. 

Merry taught English, Journalism and Yearbook classes at the middle and high school levels. She was selected as Lead English teacher and Design Team for the Bill Gates Model Small Secondary Schools Project in Las Vegas, where she received the Kiwanis Teacher of the Year award. Merry even worked as a substitute teacher while finishing her degree.

Publishing: Throughout her career, Merry published newsletters, articles on school websites, handbooks for parents, students and employees, and letters to parents. She co-wrote and published the first CCSD School Improvement Manual.

Qualifications: Merry is certified in Educational Leadership and Management by Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy via the Leadership Institute of Nevada at the Public Education Foundation. She has a B.S. in Education – Comprehensive English from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a M.S. in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University.

As a principal, Merry created systems to meet the needs of her students including Competency-Based Learning and Promotion, the Silvestri STEAM Academy, and the College Prep Academy at O’Callaghan Middle School. She established BACK – Behavior and Academic Counseling for Kids, a program to keep students with disciplinary issues on her campus in a separated area. Eternally focused on students’ success, Merry Sillitoe is married and the mother of five children and has seventeen grandchildren.