“I like to approach everything through an inquiry mindset instead of coming with assumptions. Instead, I want to know why they think the way they think,” K-12 Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Christine Merritt said. “You’ve never mastered it. You’re always learning, because every year you have a new group of students with different needs and a different class culture. It’s one of the things I think is so special about this job.”

That belief became the foundation for Merritt’s 35 years in education, from her early days teaching English to her later years shaping curriculum. Merritt’s dedication to growth and approachable leadership became defining characteristics throughout her career, which comes to a close at the end of this school year.

Before spending decades helping students and teachers grow, Merritt was learning about what path she wanted to follow. Starting in business, she quickly realized it wasn’t for her and then transitioned into landscape architecture.

“When I was in college, there weren’t a lot of electronic resources, so you really had to go into the dusty map room and dig out topographical maps. I just didn’t love that,” Merritt said. “I think that’s what made me realize I’d rather work with people and minds and not things.”

It was during Merritt’s student teaching experience in Reading, Pennsylvania, that she began to understand the importance of building connections with students and the impact school can have on them. As she worked with students in Reading, Merritt was introduced to a different school community, which gave her a new perspective on the importance of reaching students authentically.

Merritt and her mentor teacher explored the surrounding areas, where she noticed that every student walked to school because there were no buses.

“The next week, there was a drive-by shooting in one of my neighborhoods right near my students, right near the school. I remember thinking how important school was for students in an environment where it was uncertain, and their personal safety could be questionable,” Merritt said. “If I went in there and I wasn’t honestly caring about them and connecting with them. They weren’t going to care about me or what I was trying to teach. Everyone has a lot going on in their lives.”

After Merritt’s student teaching ended, she returned to New York and began her first teaching position, teaching middle school English. Four years later, Merritt moved to State College with her husband, recently retired State High social studies teacher Andy Merritt, beginning the next chapter of their careers teaching at Park Forest Middle School.

The perspective Merritt gained during her student teaching guided her approach to teaching and leadership throughout her career.

“Leave it better than you found it,” Merritt said. “If that’s your goal is to always improve things and make sure that you’re moving things forward, then that’s a good day.”

As an English teacher, Merritt found the classroom to be a place where both she and her students could continue growing.
“I think I learned more from my mistakes than from my successes,” Merritt said. “I think every day I should pay this group of students I had in my first year. I owe them a debt of gratitude because they taught me so much.”

Math and Science Elementary Curriculum Coordinator Andrea de Carle first witnessed Merritt’s impact through her son, who had Merritt as his English teacher.

“I really think about how my son spoke about her the first time he came back from his class with her. It was Classic Modern American literature. He was so excited that she said she’s ‘not going to tell me what is classic, we need to define what is classic.’ So, that the whole year was him exploring what his love was and what he understood,” de Carle said.

That experience highlighted Merritt’s approach to teaching and leading, in which learning was driven by curiosity and encouragement.

Creating an environment where students felt confident in discovering their own ideas became a meaningful part of teaching English.

“Every day was so fun and different. They really made me laugh and see things in unique ways that I didn’t see. I really liked working with them on writing, helping them grow as writers, and developing their own voices. I didn’t want them just writing an essay for me, but to really think about experimenting with different styles and techniques,” Merritt said.

Even as Merritt’s career expanded beyond the classroom, the values that structured her classroom culture remained valuable tools to continue to connect with educators and students.

“I think she has never forgotten what it felt like to be a teacher in a classroom, because she gives very sage advice. She will go in and sit with teachers to talk through hard things. I think she’s very good at listening and tapping into her own experiences to help people,” ELA and Social Studies Elementary Curriculum Coordinator Kirsten Grove said.

As Merritt’s experience in education grew, so did her interest in leadership, another opportunity for her to continue supporting teachers and students on a broader scale.

“I really like working with other teachers, coordinators and administrators to make the school district a better place for everyone, for kids and for families,” Merritt said. “I get really excited about bringing change. I feel like I can impact change on a bigger level in my current role than I could as a teacher.”

Before transitioning into her current role, Merritt served as Secondary English Department Coordinator, where she began mentoring teachers and strengthening curriculum instruction.

“She was always encouraging me to do different things. … She would always ask me if I’d be willing to teach something new or help lead different professional learning sessions with teachers. She was always encouraging me to take these opportunities. I always felt like if she was suggesting it, then it must be a good idea. She really helped me to grow,” Secondary English Coordinator Mary Lou Manhart said.

Merritt later transitioned into her current role as K-12 Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, where she now works with teachers, coordinators and administrators across the school district. In her position, she supports new teachers, writes curriculum, analyzes assessment data and develops courses and resources to support students.

“I think about just how much she loves curriculum,” de Carle said. “She often refers back to her teaching of English, but then she sees how that instruction and understanding the curriculum help kids connect with the curriculum, and how it helps us connect with it. … She’s always excited about learning, trying to understand things better.”

Much of Merritt’s work in curriculum takes place behind the scenes, but her influence is still felt through the instruction and resources students experience throughout the district.

“She is working behind the scenes in curriculum to really build a K-12 framework, which, a lot of times, what I’m seeing in the past is we were more of a K to five and then six to eight and then nine to twelve. Over the last couple of years, she has wanted that to be a K-12 framework where everything is aligned,” Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Danielle Yoder said. “We know what we want 12th graders to walk out the door with, but how do you get that? She has pushed for change with regard to resources and needs and understanding what resources are best aligned to support all students.”

Merritt’s work also influenced the way instructional leadership roles are developed across the district.

“She was very instrumental in creating the roles that we have, and allowing the coordinator model that exists in the middle school and the high school to exist again in the elementary level,” Grove said.

“I think a lot of times in school, because it’s a big system, you think, these are the parameters to do this thing. She always puts students first and puts a lot of energy into it to find a way to do something that will excite kids, or it will be fresh,” Manhart said.

Beyond curriculum and instructional leadership, Merritt consistently brought joy and encouragement to educators, reminding them of the purpose behind their work.

“She has clarity on many situations. One of the things she was always able to do, even when work felt really heavy, was to bring wisdom and expertise to help me find the joy in what we do. She always comes back to remembering your purpose,” Yoder said.

Throughout 35 years in education, Merritt approached each role with curiosity and approachability. The impact of her work extended to the students she encouraged to find their voice, the educators she mentored, and the curriculum she helped develop, which will continue to shape the district long after her retirement.