Ladue Middle School (LMS) and the Ladue School District community are celebrating Assistant Principal Sarah Schwartz for being recognized as one of 27 administrators nationwide to earn the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Outstanding Administrator Award. 

“I couldn't have asked for a better administration to work with, and with Sarah leading the way, the PLTW program has flourished under her leadership,” boasted Eric Brown, a PLTW Master teacher at LMS who nominated Mrs. Schwartz for this award. “Sarah has helped grow the program; without her leadership and vision, none of that would have been possible.”

Ladue Middle School was named a PLTW Distinguished School in 2020 under Mrs. Schwartz's leadership. In this program, students are encouraged to collaborate, explore, and be curious about careers that exist in STEM. LMS currently offers seven courses that fall into all three PLTW strands (Engineering, Biomedical, and Computer Science), and students can participate in one or all strands based on their interests. Students have opportunities to explore these areas at the middle school, with the opportunity to go even deeper into any of the strands at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. 

“The program embodies students being ‘future-ready,’” Mrs. Schwartz explained. “The Curriculum and Instruction team has been very supportive in establishing this program at LMS. PLTW has been a program that I helped start and have supervised since it started at LMS in 2019. I am thrilled that it has grown in the six years since it started. It means so much to me to be recognized for this award.” 

With this award, PLTW recognizes educators and advocates across the country for their commitment to providing students with meaningful learning experiences. 

In addition to piloting the PLTW courses, Mrs. Schwartz and Mr. Brown are avid supporters of the Vex Robotics clubs at LMS, a program sponsored by PLTW. With Mr. Brown serving as a coach, Mrs. Schwartz volunteers and helps supervise students as they compete in local and state competitions and the Vex World Championships, a tournament the school teams have participated in the last three years.

“Sarah has been instrumental in the growth and success of Project Lead The Way courses,” detailed Dr. Angela Thompson, principal at Ladue Middle School. “She is passionate about creating opportunities for all students to access and thrive within the rigorous curriculum and engaging learning activities. The staff, students, and families are very fortunate to have her at LMS!”

Ladue Schools congratulates Mrs. Sarah Schwartz on this incredible honor and appreciates the hard work she and Ladue Middle School put into laying the foundation for our students to be difference-makers.