Peggy Riggs

“My decisions in the educational setting begin and end with this premise,” said Riggs, who holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri and is associate superintendent with Springfield Public Schools.

Her duties include leading administrators, directors, program coordinators and teachers on a daily basis, all of which Riggs said require the building of trust.

Also important, she said, is the gathering of input from key people before making decisions that will affect staff, students or families.

“Creating long-lasting relationships throughout the community is important as well for the success of our school district.”

One of Riggs’ proudest accomplishments to date is the collaborative partnership between the school district and Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

“Eight years ago, when I was the newly appointed principal at McBride Elementary School, I was ... told to ‘dream big’ and get this partnership off the ground,” Riggs said. The partnership resulted in several programs at McBride, including intramural sports and a summer program. A park design for McBride was created and included a gazebo, toddler play area, trails and soccer and baseball fields. The partnership has since expanded to other schools, and the district and the park board have worked together to receive grants, publish articles and make presentations at national conferences.

For the past three years, it has been Riggs’ dream to have an International Baccalaureate program in place for students in kindergarten through grade 12, and the district is making that a reality.

“We will be the only district in the state to have a K-12 International Baccalaureate program of study. What a wonderful opportunity for our students,” she said.

Riggs also sees a need for training future administrators, and for the past 18 months she has worked with another associate superintendent and educators at Missouri State University to develop a cohort master’s degree in educational administration.

“We were able to begin the program this summer with 15 students, and I am co-teaching one of the classes. Influencing future leaders is a very important responsibility,” Riggs said.

Riggs is a member of the Mayor’s Commission for Children’s committee for school readiness, the Junior Achievement Board, the Springfield-Greene County Park Board steering committee and several committees with Drury University and MSU.

Personally speaking

As a young child, what did you hope to be when you grew up?

As a young girl, I volunteered with my mom to assist a child who had cerebral palsy doing physical therapy. As we continued working with this special family, I decided that I wanted to become a special education teacher in order to help children with special needs.

Please tell us about your family.

I am fortunate to have a wonderfully close family. I have been happily married for 25 years to my husband, David. We have two great kids: Allison, 23, teaches eighth-grade math at Jarrett Middle School. She is married to Nathan Pilley with a baby due in December. Daniel, 20, works full-time for the Park Board in the aquatics department and attends MSU full-time pursuing a degree in accounting. My mom lives six streets away from our house.

What book are you reading now?

“Sixteen Trends and Their Profound Impact on Our Future,” by Gary Marx. It is a futuristic look at how major trends will affect students, education, communities and society.

Tell us something about you that most people probably don’t know.

I was raised in Memphis, Tenn., and I love country music. We had a cabin on the Buffalo River, and my dad and I would sit outside by the fire on Friday nights and listen to the Grand Ole Opry.