IPS Employee Spotlight: Paul Wirth Talks About His Career
Welcome to the IPS Employee Spotlight, where we spotlight the dedicated individuals who significantly impact our district. In this engaging Q&A session, Paul Wirth talks about his career and how he is working to make an impact in the district.
Paul, now in his 11th year with IPS, didn’t initially set out to become an educator. Originally from Maryland, he earned his degree in psychology but decided not to pursue graduate school. Instead, he stepped into education as an assistant in a special education program. That experience inspired him to become a teacher — a decision that launched a career of steady growth and impact.
Paul Wirth (left) with students.
Over the years, Paul has held multiple roles within IPS, including teacher, Behavior Coach, Central Office Administrator, and Principal. Today, he serves as an Administrator on Special Assignment, where he supports schools in the PreK–5 III Learning Community, focusing on systems development and implementation to improve student outcomes.
Q–Why did you choose to work at IPS, and what motivates you to stay?
A–I chose it because I was told I had an opportunity to make a difference in a district that was looking to move the needle on outcomes for every student. I am motivated to stay because I don’t feel like the work has been completed.
Q–How has your experience at IPS differed from your previous professional experiences?
A–My experiences in education as a student and an educator have been in relatively rural areas. Coming to a city such as Indianapolis and working in IPS has opened my eyes to many perspectives of the people I both serve and work alongside, which has helped shape how I show up both professionally and personally.
Q–Why is education important to you, and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
A–Education is important to me because it was a way for me to unlock doors that I wouldn’t have been able to access given my childhood experiences. As I have grown older, I see education in a different light; as an opportunity to explore different perspectives and ways of thinking that allow me to grow as an individual, which can then impact my professional opportunities. I was inspired to choose education because I could see the impact one person could have on the trajectory of a student’s life.
Q–Can you describe a particularly rewarding moment or achievement you have experienced while working at IPS?
A–Seeing the growth of the students we serve, the joy on their faces when they read something they could never read before, the way they get excited when they make connections to what they are learning to their home experiences, and seeing students grow in their emotional intelligence.
Q–How do you approach your job daily, and what strategies do you use to stay motivated and effective?
A–Every day is a new opportunity to learn, grow, and make an impact.
Q–In your opinion, what are the key strengths of the Rebuilding Stronger initiative, and how do you see it impacting the future of IPS?
A–Giving students to have more programming options closer to their homes, standardizing the experiences for Related Arts across schools, opportunities for our students who experience multiple moves in a school year to stay at their home school (within the zone).
Q–What advice would you give to new educators or staff members joining IPS to help them succeed and feel valued in their roles?
A–There are so many “things” circling the world of education right now. While these will have an impact, keep grounded in the work you have chosen to do and what you can control, which is the impact you can have on the students/staff/building/etc. you serve. Each day will be a different experience; enjoy and learn from them, because they are only going to make you a stronger educator.
Q–What is your advice of the day for fellow educators, students, families, or staff?
A–Frame the success of the day by starting with what went right, then take on what could have gone better. It is too easy to get lost in what is thought to be wrong.