With over two decades of dedicated service, rising from her entry-level position as a teacher’s assistant to an Instructional Coach and a Coordinator of Professional Learning, Janet Crews exemplifies commitment and professional growth. Her journey is a testament to the opportunities and career development the district offers its staff.
“I’ve been at Clayton for 25 years, but I’ve been teaching 33 years overall. My first year was as an intern at Captain Elementary School,” Crews said.
In 1990, each grade level had an assistant. That year, Crews worked with fifth graders as an assistant. While working at Captain, she knew she wanted to work at Clayton but got hired at Mehlville Middle School. She worked there for eight years before returning to become a sixth-grade science teacher at Wydown Middle School.
“The sixth-grade science curriculum had a lot of environmental science, which I loved because we did a lot outdoors. We were at Forest Park a lot [and did] studies at the zoo. It was fun because getting on the bus and going into those places was different than being in the classrooms,” Crews said.
During Crews’ second year of teaching, she was asked by a student to sponsor an environmental club, sparking her love for environmental science.
She was the club sponsor for 10 years.
“I became active in St. Louis environmental education for a long time, all because of one student. When I was at Wydown, I created and taught an elective called Leadership in Environmental Action Projects. We got curbside recycling started at Wydown,” Crews said.
Crews developed several educational initiatives during her tenure, including the Lab Classroom program.
“Lab Classroom is a program where teachers learn and set goals together, and they have a coach, which is what I do. Then they go into each other’s classrooms and give each other feedback on the things that they’re working on,” Crews said, “I was part of the people who created it. It’s been going for 15 years, and about 175 teachers in the district have gone through it.”
The Lab Classroom program has led to great strides in professional development with teachers in every building, especially the high school.
“She’s been key in leading a lot of our professional development efforts and professional development planning for our teachers and our building,” Principal Dan Gutchewsky said.
Scott Kreher, the CHS yearbook advisor, has been teaching for 15 years and was a mentee in the Lab Classroom program. A tool taught through the program is cognitive coaching, a method teachers use to listen to students’ or other teachers’ problems.
“Cognitive coaching is one of the rare [tools] that has been helpful to my conversations with students and other faculty members. The main reason is that it provides a framework for productive conversations, whereas most of our conversations communicate feelings and thoughts,” Kreher said.
Assistant Principal Drew Spiegel also went through the Lab Classroom program.
“Coaching has allowed me to think differently about asking questions to find out how others feel and to allow them to expand in their own words. It’s given me the capacity to remain in the conversation and [also] allow others to explore why they feel a certain way or find their solutions in that process,” Spiegel said.
Crews has embraced various roles throughout her tenure, enriching her teaching journey. Her experience spans Glenridge, Captain Elementary, Wydown Middle School and Clayton High School, where she has engaged in numerous educational facets. This broad spectrum of involvement has contributed to a sense of balance in her professional life.
“I am proud of all the different roles I have had and all the ways I’ve impacted students and teachers. I was an elementary teacher, a middle school science teacher, a mentor, a coach, a coordinator, a professional developer and a trainer,” Crews said.
Crews’ career has been marked by her diverse roles and the enduring relationships she built with her colleagues. Craig Sucher, a biology and plant science teacher, has worked with her for 25 years. Reflecting on their time together, he emphasized her impact on the school community.
“All interactions with Ms. Crews [contain] empathy for others, selflessness and her undeniable desire to help everyone grow—[whether for] students [or] adults—as learners,” Sucher said. “Everybody that had the joy of interacting with Ms. Crews would agree to that in a second. We are better for what she has done for us, and she is going to be quickly missed and never ever forgotten.”
Crews will retire at the end of the year, but she plans to remain in education and open a consulting business.
“I’m excited about my next chapter, being an educational consultant and sharing my knowledge and skills with educators in the region and beyond,” Crews said.
