William H. Frazier and Mary Fay Pendleton achieve Lighthouse status

Elementary schools William H. Frazier and Mary Fay Pendleton – both a part of the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (FUESD) – have recently achieved Lighthouse status, an award given by Franklin Covey to honor the attainment of a well-rounded leadership model of The Leader in Me program.

Lighthouse schools serve as models of leadership and mentors to other schools, and have achieved the standards laid out by FranklinCovey and The Leader in Me program. This program implements elements of FranklinCovey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and trains staff to encourage students to become leaders in their everyday lives.

Currently, there are 2508 schools in The Leader in Me program worldwide, with 195 named as Lighthouse schools

“There are only six Lighthouse schools in California,” said FUESD assistant superintendent Bill Billingsley. “Becoming a Leader in Me Lighthouse School is a tremendous honor. The Lighthouse distinction is given only to schools that have demonstrated the deepest implementation of The Leader in Me and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. As Sean Covey, author of The Leader in Me, says, 'The Leader in Me Lighthouse School title is awarded by FranklinCovey to honor the attainment of a well rounded leadership model. Lighthouse Schools serve as models of leadership and mentors to other schools.'”

Billingsley also explained that families moving into Fallbrook may be more likely to be familiar with the leadership style of FUESD campuses.

“If the family is coming from a Leader in Me school, they know that we have adopted the standard and this creates consistency,” he said.

As part of the Leader in Me, students create mission statements, then set and monitor personal and academic goals, said Billingsley. School-wide, this results in both increased student achievement, and improved campus climates as well.

“Adopting the seven habits has positively impacted student achievement as students set goals for themselves. We see an increase in homework completion for all students,” said Billingsley. “In addition, we have seen a decrease in poor habits, and students trying to be proactive with an end in mind. You will hear students using phrases like 'Let's be proactive' in line at the cafeteria, or 'Let's synergize' in the playground instead of pushing. It helps both academic achievement and school climate.

“We are confident that FUESD will be the first lighthouse district next,” said Billingsley. “All of our schools are Leader in Me schools, all of our staff has gone through the training and adopted the leadership curriculum, and all of our students know the seven habits.”

“The district is extremely proud to honor the teachers, student leaders, and parents at both Mary Fay Pendleton School and W.H. Frazier School,” said Billingsley. “Without their combined passion, vision, hard work, and commitment this prestigious achievement would not be possible.”