Superintendent of Schools

  • Superintendent Theresa Axford 

    Theresa Axford has led Monroe County Schools with a student-centered vision, consistently prioritizing the needs, voices, and experiences of students at every level. As Executive Director of Teaching and Learning and later as Superintendent, she championed transformative initiatives that ensured all students had access to enriched, equitable, and engaging educational experiences.

    One of her earliest initiatives, the GEMS program—Great Educational Moments—was designed to recognize students who created or experienced transformative learning moments. This program honored not only academic success but also personal growth, creativity, and contributions to the school community. As Superintendent, she expanded this initiative to include Community GEMS, highlighting how student success is supported through strong partnerships with families and community organizations. She also created the VIEW program, Visiting Innovative Educators’ Workplaces.  The VIEW gave teachers opportunities to visit other teachers’ classrooms, providing opportunities for observing best practices, and bringing fresh, student-focused strategies back to their own classrooms. This initiative helped ensure that students are taught by educators committed to continuous improvement and collaboration.

    During this period, Mrs. Axford also created a District Wide Problem-Solving Team in partnership with the University of South Florida. This high-performing team, known as DAPPs, initially developed the district behavior management system known as iBElieve. The iBElieve guide outlines behavior expectations in a clear and accessible format, helping teachers, parents, administrators and the community understand expectations for appropriate behavior.

    When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional learning, Mrs. Axford kept students at the center of her response. She assembled a diverse, county-wide task force to design a Guidebook for Safely Reopening Schools, with the primary goal of maintaining student health, well-being, and access to learning. Recognizing that many students had started part-time jobs during school closures, she launched the MOVE program—Monroe Occupation and Vocation Experiences—which allowed students to earn academic credit for their real-world work, blending the flexibility for meaningful employment with continued educational growth. This approach not only kept students engaged in school but also supported their families and local businesses. 

    In 2021, Mrs. Axford brought together a diverse committee to create a Strategic Plan for the district that prioritized student academic achievement and well-being. This plan focused on the whole child—supporting physical health, mental wellness, and social-emotional growth. The plan also included robust support for teachers, recognizing that empowered educators are essential to student success. Under her leadership, beginning teacher salaries increased by 29.3%, attracting top educators to serve Monroe County students.  Longevity pay which was established as a need in the Strategic Plan was added in 2024 to help reward and retain experienced staff.  The district recently participated in an accreditation review with Cognia, an international accrediting agency and the gold standard for school districts.  The district achieved an impressive 338 points, well above the network average of 253, setting Monroe County apart as a model of educational excellence.

    To further enhance the student experience, she implemented the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program across all schools. AVID promotes writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading as foundational skills. By embedding this program district-wide, she gave students a common framework for academic success and self-advocacy, ensuring they had the tools to take ownership of their learning.

    Mrs. Axford's commitment to student success extended to the physical learning environment. She led a full-scale revitalization of the furnishings at Coral Shores High School, Marathon Middle High School, and Key West High School, embellishing each space with the flexibility needed for 21st-century learning. Classrooms now support student choice, group collaboration, and personal learning preferences, while modern media centers foster a love of reading and lifelong literacy by making these spaces exciting and welcoming for all learners.

    Her desire to enhance cultural opportunities for students is hallmarked by the district’s partnership with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra. This partnership brings a music study program and live symphonic performances to Keys’ students.  In addition, a more recent partnership with the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center in Key West is bringing theatrical performances to students throughout the Keys with performances at the Marathon Performing Arts Center and the Performing Arts Center at Coral Shores High School as well. Prior to her Superintendency, the performances were only centered in Key West.  She advocated for students throughout the Keys to have the same opportunities.

    Environmental stewardship, another cornerstone of her student-centered approach, gave students opportunities to connect with real-world issues and become active problem solvers. Through partnerships with 17 environmental agencies, students not only attended field trips to facilities throughout the Keys but also partnered with organizations like Mote Marine, the Dolphin Research Center and Reef Relief to perform hands-on projects to enhance marine environments throughout the Keys.  They also worked on meaningful science projects, many of which won awards at the State Science Fair. These projects empowered students to explore environmental challenges and develop innovative, research-based solutions.

    To address another barrier to student success—the high cost of living in the Keys—Mrs. Axford launched an initiative to secure affordable housing for educators. She worked with lawmakers, military partners, developers, and community leaders to propose a housing development, specifically the Trumbo property project, to ensure that teachers can live in the communities they serve and remain committed to the students they teach.  This project is ongoing as she leaves for retirement.

    Her efforts to preserve and enhance school infrastructure were equally student-driven. She advocated relocating the administrative offices to Bruce Hall and transforming Reynolds School into a renovated home for the maintenance department and Adult Education. These efforts will not only preserve historic buildings but ensure that resources are aligned with student-centered goals and operational excellence. With her advocacy, the district secured two million dollars in state funding to support these initiatives and is in line to receive $3,000,000 in federal dollars in the upcoming 2026 budget.

    Mrs. Axford also developed a Classroom Walkthrough Document designed to support consistent, high-quality instruction. This tool helps both new and veteran teachers focus on instructional strategies that best support student learning, and regular walk-throughs ensure students receive engaging, effective, and inclusive instruction across all schools.

    Theresa Axford’s leadership is defined by her unwavering focus on students. Every policy, partnership, and program she has initiated was rooted in the belief that students deserve the very best from their schools. Mostly recently, her vision for making student voices a part of decision-making has given rise to the Monroe Association of Governing Students (MAGS).  Their input helped the school district revise its delivery of the healthy living curriculum for school year 24-25. Her achievements have not only transformed the educational experience in Monroe County but also empowered students to lead, learn, and thrive in a rapidly changing world. None of these accomplishments could have been realized without an amazing staff who believed in her vision and brought it to life through their dedication, innovation, and shared commitment to student-centered excellence.
Portrait photo of Theresa Axford

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