Dr. Susan Mele, Director of Elementary & Fine Arts Programs, for Bedford
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County Public Schools, has served as an administrator for nine years. She has had the opportunity to work as a school administrator in the Staunton River Zone as Principal of Stewartsville Elementary School from 2010 to February 2017. Prior to becoming a principal in Bedford County, Dr. Mele worked as the assistant principal at Bonsack Elementary School and as a special education administrator at Hidden Valley Middle School, both in Roanoke County.
Dr. Mele earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Radford College in Elementary Education and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Virginia Tech. She holds a Doctor of Education from Virginia Tech in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. In fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Education, she completed a dissertation entitled Teacher Supervision of Paraprofessionals.
Dr. Mele taught elementary and special education in grades K-5 for more than 20 years. She has served as a Special Education Coordinator, School Consultation Team (SCT) Chairperson, Eligibility Chairperson, and has served on various committees and advisory boards.
Dr. Mele is currently working with the First Lady of Virginia, Mrs. Dorothy Mc Auliffe, as a member of the Council on Bridging the Nutritional Divide in an effort to address childhood hunger in Virginia. In 2013, she was invited to address the state subcommittee regarding childhood hunger in public schools. Dr. Mele implemented the Grab and Go Breakfast model at Stewartsville Elementary. This model is now being implemented in other schools in Bedford County and in other divisions within the state.
Childhood hunger and understanding poverty have been an integral part of Dr. Mele’s philosophy and educational perspective. She is a lifetime certified trainer for Dr. Ruby Payne’s work, A Framework for Understanding Poverty. This work has enabled her to help teachers understand how to support students by changing their mindsets regarding socioeconomic class and helping students overcome the hurdles associated with poverty.
Dr. Mele and another colleague were instrumental in bringing the Responsive Classroom model to Bedford County Public Schools. This model is an evidence-based approach to elementary teaching that focuses on the strong link between academic success and social-emotional learning. The work completed by Dr. Mele and her staff at Stewartsville using the Responsive Classroom approach has been nationally recognized by the Center for Responsive Schools.
Dr. Mele has lived in Bedford County for the past 36 years. She is married to Kevin Mele who has maintained a business in Bedford County for the past 25 years. They have a son and daughter.