Assistant Superintendent's Office
Dr. Jillian Bichsel
Dr. Jillian Bichsel was hired as the Assistant Superintendent of the Avonworth School District in October of 2021. Her primary responsibilities as the Assistant Superintendent at Avonworth are K-12 curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and oversight of the New Teacher Induction Program.
Dr. Bichsel began her career as a Middle and High School English Teacher in Ohio and Mississippi. She returned to Ohio as the County Schools Coordinator of Gifted and Talented Education for the East Central Ohio Educational Services Center. Dr. Bichsel then became a K-3 Gifted Education Teacher in the Indian Valley School District and then became the Coordinator of Gifted Education Services for Wooster City Schools in Wooster, Ohio.
In pursuit of her doctorate, Dr. Bichsel moved to Pennsylvania in 2004 and served as the Gifted Support Teacher at the Quaker Valley School District. She transitioned to the Gifted Support Middle School Coordinator and provided bi-monthly professional development sessions on differentiated instruction. Dr. Bichsel moved into an administrative role in 2005 as the Assistant High School Principal and then the Intermediate High School Principal for the Fox Chapel Area School District. Dr. Bichsel oversaw the implementation of EdInsight and Edline data and communication tools, supervised gifted education services to help foster differentiated instruction, and collaboratively planned and implemented the induction program for new teachers.
Dr. Bichsel returned to Quaker Valley in 2009 as the Director of Academic Services, where she facilitated the strategic planning process for the District leadership team, led the curriculum mapping process and management tool for K-12 education, supervised eLearning, and collaborated with the leadership team to determine professional development needs annually. In 2014, Dr. Bichsel was approved as the Director of Curriculum and Assessment for Chartiers Valley School District, where she oversaw curriculum, instruction, professional development, and assessment for grades K-12 and facilitated the annual professional development plan focused on the District’s strategic plan. In 2018, Dr. Bichsel became the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Professional Development at North Allegheny School District.
Dr. Bichsel received a Bachelor’s degree in English from Wittenberg University, a Master’s degree in English Education from Ohio State University, Gifted Education K-12 certification from Ashland University, and a Doctorate of Education in School Leadership from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Bichsel also obtained her Principal K-12 certification and Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility from the University of Pittsburgh.
Assistant Superintendent Evaluation:
The Board of Directors has determined that the assistant superintendent has met the performance standards for the 23-24 academic year in Student Growth and Achievement, Organizational Leadership, District Operations and Financial Management, Communication and Community Relations, Human Resource Management, and Professionalism.
Contact Information
Dr. Jillian Bichsel
Assistant Superintendent
Office: 412-369-8738 ext. 1501
Email: jbichsel@avonworth.k12.pa.us