School Finance Week 5-Reflections

Part 1

1.) 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.7- A school official drew cash advances saying she was reimbursing expenses from and Educational Fund, but was actually using the money for personal use.

-Short term-administrative leave

-Long term- Charges filed and possible jail time

-Unlikely to find work in this area in the future regardless of the outcome due to a tarnished reputation

2.) 1.3- A teacher at a conference used a receipt from a colleague to request reimbursement for materials purchased by the collegue for her own profit.

     3.)1.2- A school administrator used general school funds to purchase furniture for             

           her home.

-short term-administrative leave pending an investigation

-Reimbursement of funds

-Rport incident to authorities and SBEC

-Charges filed, and possible jail time

-Loss of credentials

4.)  2.6-An administrator used a monetary bribe to persuade teachers to say positive comments to the superintendent regardin the principal even though the statements were not completely true.

5.)  2.3-A school administrator accepted a monetary payment to make the decision in hiring a certain teacher candidate for an open position.

-Administrative leave pending an investigation

-Report incidnet to authorities and SBEC

1.)  Training regarding appropriate forms of tracking expendatures should be in place.  A system should be developed in order to prevent one employee from having direct access to the account.

2.)  A checks and balances system should be in place to verify expenditures of items beyond those of educational material.  Especailly if the amount is at the magnitude of the cost of complete sets of furniture.

3.)  Provide training regarding hiring practices.  The district should have a system developed to monitor the candidates being interviewed.

Part 2

I learned a great deal of information in this course. I do feel like I am at least competent in all areas.  I have a clear understanding of the basic finance areas, but I do not feel comfortable enough to apply these skills on my own.  In the area of personnel and time budgeting I am a part of the technology committee in my district, so this has certainly opened my eyes to the vast concerns and issues in ensuring a technology sound system.  Self-assessment is always difficult for me because I always see room in any area for improvement, but overall I feel I have gained enough knowledge and acquired resources that will guide me in the right direction.

Part 3

I first of all think it was great to be able to work with others in the class.  Posting in all the places was a little difficult, but overall I enjoyed reading the reflections of classmates and working with my wonderful group.  It is hard to narrow down the parts that were the best because I learned something from each of the assignments.  I enjoyed interviewing my superintendent and getting her perspective on the budget.  With the financial times being so difficult in education I am very glad to have this course so that I can have a better understanding of the various funding formulas, projections, and the importance of stakeholder input.  As a campus principal I will certainly have a better understanding of how the overall budget is developed, and will be able to make better decisions about spending on my campus.  The budget I work with is simply a drop in the bucket compared to the overall district budget, but in today’s times every penny counts. 

As I worked through the post course self-assessment I realized that I had a much better understanding in many of the areas compared to pre-course assessment. 

School Finance Week 4-Part 5 Financial Audits

In speaking with Superintendent Dr. Dan Powell CISD’s process for conducting the Annual External Financial Audit mirrors the steps shared in the lecture notes for this week shared by Dr. Lu Stephens.  CISD utilizes the TASBO model format for selection of the external auditor, which includes placing a RFQ for firms to submit their proposal of interest.  The district reviews and verifies the firms’ references and narrows the choices to 2 or 3 firms.  The district then conducts interviews of these firms in order to conclude the final choice.

Once the auditor is selected the auditors come to the district throughout the year to conduct specialized visits.  They let the district know the time of their visit and which documents they will examine.  Towards the end of the audit, which differs based on the district’s financial cycle, the auditors will spend about two weeks going over final documents and conducting final interviews of pertinent staff.   

Once the audit is complete, the firm will prepare a document of their findings for the Board of Trustees.  Within this report the firm will determine if there are any areas of concern.  In the audit shared at our last Board Meeting no areas of difficulty were discovered.  There were two different occasions that funds were over extended, but due to the time of the accounting for those days the money was crossing paths at the bank.  This did not pose any concern for the auditors.

In the case of CISD the audit was given to the district and Board Members a week prior to the called Board Meeting.  During the Board Meeting the auditor shared his report and answered any questions posed by Board Members.  The audit was accepted and voted on for approval during the Board Meeting.

After discussing this process I was surprised to find that the report was not shared with the Superintendent in advance of sharing the report with the board.  There was no allowance for questioning or dispute. 

School Finance Week 4-Part 4 Personnel Salaries

85% of our over $97million dollar budget is staff related costs.   A little over $63 million dollars will be spent this year on instructional costs, which includes teacher salaries.  Due to our competition of such districts as Fort Worth ISD it is imperative that our district maintain a competitive teacher salary in order to recruit quality teaching staff. 

In speaking with my district’s superintendent there positives and negatives to a 5% increase in salary.  On the positive side it provides a short-term morale boost for the staff.  The increase also allows our district to keep up with the market of obtaining and retaining quality staff.  Dr. Powell also sees that it is a gesture to the teachers of their value and importance.  On the negative side the morale boost, mentioned before, is indeed only short-term.  The overall hit to the budget is significant, and does not always get enough boost in morale to offset the cuts made in other areas.  Another negative mentioned by Dr. Powell is the pay increase creates a feeling of obligation and expectation.  For so many years districts were able to provide a step in pay.  Over time teachers became accustomed to receiving the increase in pay, and felt betrayed and let down the year the district was not able to offer such a pay increase

School Finance Week 3 Part 4-M&O Funds

In CISD our maintenance and operations budget is almost equally funded by state and local money, with a very small amount from the federal funds.  Our district has a little over 15, 000 students between two high school feeder patterns.  Our economic disadvantage rate is just over 50% overall.  We are fortunate to have a Career and Technology Center among our facilities, which does bring in additional funding and has proven to be a major boost in attendance and academics at both high schools. 

When I reviewed the School District’s State Aide Report on the TEA website for last year I discovered that our district collected a little over $5 million dollars less than expected in the M&O Collections.  CISD owed the district back money in the end, and pulled in less local revenue than expected.  This was addressed by a second round of RIFs (reduction in force).  The current general operating budget reflects a target revenue of $97,566,539 and an expenditure of $101,348,877, which will hit the Fund Balance for over $3.7 million dollars.  Our fund balance continues to hover in the “OK” range with over $19 million, but cannot take many hits such as this.   Instruction accounts for 63% of our budget.

Week 2-School Finance

Part 1-Goal Driven Budget

As presented in the lecture for this week, a goal driven budget is a budget that expends funds based on achievement of the Board of Trustees Goals.  I was not able to meet with my Superintendent until next week, so for this week’s assignment I received input from my district’s Financial Officer, Dwayne Jones.  Based on his input, and my own personal experience as a principal, our district improvement plan and the campus improvement plans are directly aligned.  Both improvement plans are also aligned with the Board of Trustees goals.  Within these plans each source of funding is addressed through action plans.  Each goal and objective has an action plan.  Within the action plan are a list of expected outcomes and activities to meet these outcomes.  The source of funding is then listed.  Not only is actual money a source of funding, but time and people is also a form of funding.  This information is also shared within the improvement plans.

Also mentioned by Mr. Jones is the key importance to only budget needs and not wants.  In today’s lean times it is imperative that funding be utilized for the items and activities that we as leaders truly think will bring about expected results.   
Part 2-Final Top Five List
1.October-Board Meeting to adopt Staffing Formula and Guidelines
-Staffing typically makes up 85% of the budget it is important to have a clear understanding for the number of staff members impacting the budget. This would also include salaries, benefits, and payroll taxes.
2.November- December-Collect Student Projections and Student/Teacher Ratio/Finalize PEIMS data
Preliminary Estimate of Taxable Values received from Central Appraisal District, Budget Review, and Review Revenue Projections
-The budget is based on the number of students to be served and the amount of money they will bring to the budget.
This gives the district a better view of money coming into the district. The district must have a clear understanding of the amount of money they are working with.
3. January-March- Preliminary Budget Review and Community Budget Input Meetings
-A chance for the budget team to review the data, gather stakeholder input, and ensure the budget is on the right path.  The team should look at projected revenue and expenses.
4. June-Early in the month-Board of Trustees Briefing-Proposed Budget Review/ End of June Board Meeting for Tax Rate Hearing and Budget Adoption
-The Tax Rate Hearing is required, and the board must adopt the proposed budget on or before August 20.
5. August-Adopt Tax Rate
-Adoption of the tax rate is also required and sets the amount of income expected by the district.  Adoption of the tax rate is the end of the process for one school year, and begins the process for another.

There are so many key pieces to the development of the budget it is hard to narrow it down to five.  As reflected by my group’s list we felt the need to combine some activities into specific dates to meet the needs of formulating a well-rounded budget.  As mentioned in the lecture the two key pieces are the WADA and the Certified Taxable Values.  Clean PEIMS data is crucial to ensuring maximum money is brought to the district for each student.  Equally important is the Certified Taxable Values which determines the amount of money needed from the state to fund program allocations. 

Part 3-Understanding the TEA Budgeting Guidelines

After reading the TEA Budgeting Guidelines January 2010 I realize how much I do not know about our budget system.  I have been fortunate to work under two Superintendents during my administrative career that have been extremely knowledgeable in the area of school finance.  Before this course I thought that was very lucky for us as a district, but now I realize that this was not just a positive characteristic, but instead a requirement by the board.  Since our district is larger we have a CFO which I felt was the key individual in the finance system.  As portrayed in the reading and in the course lectures, the Superintendent is the district’s budget officer.  I can see having assistance in the area of finance, but as the superintendent would need to have the ability to have a clear understanding of the system on one’s own. 

I learned a great deal about different types of budgets and why or why not they may be useful.  In my district we use the line-item budget.  I was interested to learn more about the Performance Budgeting.  As explained in the reading this approach to budgeting because it provides more narrative details and a clearer basis of evaluating administrators.  The challenge with this approach is predicting the cost of each activity.  Some activities are easier than others.  In my opinion this part should be done in the campus and district improvement plans and then lead to a line-item budget for transparency purposes.

I also learned a great deal in regards to TEC laws that must be followed and then the requirements put in place by TEA and Local expectations.  I had no idea how much time is spent on planning and forecasting.  I knew how much this was done before the start of the school year, but did not realize how much adjustment took place throughout the school year.

I am particularly interested in spending more time with the Grant Funded portion of the document to gain understanding in this area.  I have heard central administration discuss grant funding, and have asked for certain data in the past, but I have not been directly involved in following this process.  I would assume this area has been decreased over time and fewer funds have been available, but at this point in the budgeting “game” any money is helpful.

Part 4-Superintendent’s Roles and Responsibilities in the Budgeting Process

Unfortunately, I was not able to meet with my superintendent until next week due to the holidays and schedule conflicts.  Instead I received input from my site-supervisor, Ms. Theresa Kohler, and the district Financial Officer, Dwayne Jones.  Based on input from Ms. Kohler and Mr. Jones, and in conjunction with this week’s lecture, it is obvious the superintendent serves as the budget officer for the district.  It is his/her responsibility to gather input from the stakeholders, and propose a balanced budget that will meet the needs of the students and stay aligned with Board goals.  Both individuals emphasized the need to stay within legal requirements for budget preparation, and how important it is to get input from all stakeholders.  The need for clean student data has been a focus in our district for the past couple of years.  Two years ago two of our campuses were rated “Unacceptable” based on data regarding leavers.  The computer system we were using had a glitch and converted codes incorrectly when sending in our PEIMS data.  This was a tremendous blow to our district and has resulted in the loss of trust by some of the stakeholders.  Since this time our district has provided a great deal of training, and is in the process of securing a new data reporting system. So much rides on the fact that the data is clean.

After discussion with these two individuals I realize how much responsibility the superintendent holds regarding the budget; yet how much relies on the ability and input of others.  In our district data clerks are responsible for the input of data.  Due to the nature of CISD’s situation with unclean data and computer errors in the past this has certainly been an area of focus.  It is also the responsibility of the superintendent to stay up on current legal requirements, regardless of the support of other financial leaders in the district.  I intend to ask these questions of Superintendent Dr. Powell when I meet with him next week and would venture to guess he will have more details to give.  His style seems to be to rely on those he has employed, but have enough knowledge and input to keep everything on the right path.  I know he will also have input regarding the working relationship of the Board.

Part 5 Stakeholder Input

Ø  Central Office Administrators and Staff,: What data systems must be budgeted for, training needs, projects,

Ø  Principals,: Campus budgets based on Campus Improvement Plan needs

Ø  Site Based Decision Making Committees,: Areas of need from Needs Assessment and input to Campus Improvement Plan

Ø  District Improvement Committee: Areas of needs from Needs Assessment and input to District Improvement Plan

Ø  Teacher Organizations: Information should funnel through the District and Campus planning committees

Ø  Key Stakeholders,:  These individuals should be a part of the Needs Assessments and District and Campus Improvement Plans

Ø  Board of Trustees: They should take a global approach and ensure money allocations will meet the needs of district goals and objectives

After discussion and readings the outside stakeholders should not have a direct line to the budget, but instead should be utilized when developing the campus and district improvement plans.  This input is then utilized by the campus and district leaders to determine the exact way in which the money will be spent.  The Board is ultimately in charge of approving the budget as presented by the Superintendent.  The Superintendent will propose a budget based on the input of campus and district leaders, which should be based on the input of stakeholders.  Stakeholders should not make direct recommendations to the Superintendent or the Board, and the Board must be careful to keep personal agendas out of the equation.

The Superintendent must work to ensure the Board members are up to date in all areas of the budget.  The Board needs to be able to address questions and concerns from stakeholders regarding the expenditure of “their” money.

School Finance Week 1 Reflections-Parts 1-4

Part 1 Historical Events:

Although many lawsuits and changes to the school finance system have occurred over the years, it is evident that the foundation of the Texas Education Finance System has not made the needed progress to keep up with the changing times.  Our group agreed that the establishment of free and appropriate education in 1845 was certainly the number one event in school finance history.  Although many key factors led up to this establishment, the establishment of free schools through the Texas Constitution serves as the foundation for our system.  Post war era led to the need for additional school funding.  In 1947 the Gilmer-Aiken committee was established to address this funding concern.  The laws that were passed during the 51^st Legislative Session in 1949 would significantly impact school funding and how schools operated. This organized approach to supplementing local taxes was an attempt to adequately fund public education.  Although many lawsuits were filed, our group decided that the Edgewood v Kirby lawsuit leading to the 1993 “Robin Hood Plan” was significant, and affected schools in many different ways.  All of us in administration now probably have recollection of this plan.  I am sure a person’s opinion of the effectiveness of this plan would depend on which end of the plan you were on.  Property wealthy districts probably felt that their “hard earned money” was being taken unfairly, and I am sure property poor districts felt the money was owed to them.  I think it would be interesting to require property wealthy districts to operate under the budget of a property poor district and then get their opinion. 

Part 2 State Formula:

The state finance system is mind boggling.  Once you think you are gaining understanding something changes.  I remember our Chief Finance Officer discussing how many different funding templates were used last year before the final template was selected.  The Foundation School Program is just as it title implies, the foundation of the finance system.  Tier 1 formulas are comprised of adjustments, weights, and allotments as is the basic system for each district.  Tier 2 is comprised of a variety of allotments depending on various subgroup populations.  Many districts focus on the attendance of students to ensure the maximum amount of money is brought to the funding table.  Although it appears that if a child comes to school you get equal dollars for each child that is not in fact the bottom line.  The Weighted Average Daily Attendance brings different amounts of money based on the needs of the student in attendance.  This poses a challenge in some areas considering students that bring in extra dollars are often the populations that experience low attendance.  Special Education students experience health concerns in some instances that hinder their attendance, and economically disadvantaged students have a difficult time with transportation in some issues.  This has been a topic in my district many times.  For my particular campus we have Section 8 housing just within the two mile radius of the school, so bus transportation is not provided; however when we have inclement weather these students historically do not attend school because they would have to walk.  I also have a class that has medically fragile children that do not miss enough consecutive days to require Homebound Services, but miss more than the average student.

The local property tax serves as one of the two basic sources of funds.  The state formula is intended to reduce the tax base difference in order to provide an equal, equitable, and adequate level of funding for all districts, as mentioned by Dr. Arterbury in the lecture.  The Robin Hood Plan was developed to help address this issue, and depending on which end of the plan one was on would probably weigh on one’s opinion of the plan.  The attempt to equalize district allocations took money from property wealthy and gave it to property poor.  Whether or not this was the best way to address the equality issue it was at least an attempt to level the education playing field.

Our group decided on inflation as another key factor in the state formula.  Although we have more money in the system than in the past, it is barely meeting the needs of students.  If changes are not made to the funding soon I believe that we will be looking at cuts to extra programs that are as necessary to education in today’s times as the core content areas.

Part 3 Equality, Equity and Adequacy

This goes back to the age old question of “Is equal fair and is fair equal?”  Equality in the state funding formula is intended to bring about an equal base of education that benefits all students.  Funding for the core content areas and money for required facilities.  Individual needs are met by the equity funds allotted for special populations of students; special education and economically disadvantaged students would also fall in this category.  In my opinion equity is intended to level the field for students that need more educational assistance than an average student.  Adequacy issues arise in the areas of teacher pay and costs of textbooks.  What quality of support is provided to students; this is the behind the scenes money in my opinion.

Part 4 Improvement Plan Comparison

With the exception of Appendix B PBMAS, the Austin ISD does not link direct funding to specific activities in an easy to read format.  The Austin ISD Improvement Plan gives a great deal of detail to meeting minutes, and specific notes, and also gives a overall general budget by category, but for Compensatory Funds it lists basic programs and positions funded with no explanation of detail and expected outcomes.  External Grants/Federal Funds are given a direct source, but once again does not give specific expectations and desired outcomes.  The PBMAS Appendix B does give specifics regarding goals, measurable evidence, specific activities, funding and resources, and timelines.  I would expect this format to be utilized for other Goals and Objectives as well.  Crowley ISD has taken a more activity based approach to the improvement plan process.  CISD lists specific goals, objectives, performance indicators, evaluation tools, and funding sources for each activity.  CISD also includes a list of Federal Funding Sources at the end and the general expenditure group to utilize the funds.  Action Plans are developed for each objective and goal that lists the activity/strategy, Title I Component, Timeline, Responsible Staff, and Resources/Funding.  Crowley ISD does not address PBMAS as a separate section, but rather embeds the expectations within the specific activities for each of the goals and objectives.

I believe the PBMAS portion of the AISD Improvement Plan is comparable to the CISD Improvement Plan.  I believe this format would make the rest of the AISD plan much easier to understand, and would show direct correlation between funding and goals.  The AISD format is cumbersome to get through.  CISD utilizes a narrative format that bullets items and also includes a table that correlates goal activities with specific source of funding, which I believe is the intent of Improvement Plans.

 

School Finance Week 1

Comparison of Austin ISD Improvement Plan and Crowley ISD Improvement Plan:

With the exception of Appendix B PBMAS, the Austin ISD does not link direct funding to specific activities in an easy to read format.  The Austin ISD Improvement Plan gives a great deal of detail to meeting minutes, and specific notes, and also gives a overall general budget by category, but for Compensatory Funds it lists basic programs and positions funded with no explanation of detail and expected outcomes.  External Grants/Federal Funds are given a direct source, but once again does not give specific expectations and desired outcomes.  The PBMAS Appendix B does give specifics regarding goals, measurable evidence, specific activities, funding and resources, and timeline.  I would expect this format to be utilized for other Goals and Objectives as well.  Crowley ISD has taken a more activity based approach to the improvement plan process.  CISD lists specific goals, objectives, performance indicators, evaluation tools, and funding sources for each activity.  CISD also includes a list of Federal Funding Sources at the end and the general expenditure group to utilize the funds.  Action Plans are developed for each objective and goal that lists the activity/strategy, Title I Component, Timeline, Responsible Staff, and Resources/Funding.  Crowley ISD does not address PBMAS as a separate section, but rather embeds the expectations within the specific activities for each of the goals and objectives.

I believe the PBMAS portion of the AISD Improvement Plan is comparable to the CISD Improvement Plan.  I believe this format would make the rest of the AISD plan much easier to understand, and would show direct correlation between funding and goals.  The AISD format is cumbersome to get through.  CISD utilizes a narrative format that bullets items and also includes a table that correlates goal activities with specific source of funding, which I believe is the intent of Improvement Plans.

Intern Plan Conference

I was able to meet with my campus site supervisor last week regarding my intern plan.  When I met with Mrs. Kohler I presented her with a hard copy of my draft intern plan, and had the portion of my textbook ready that discussed the 38 activity areas.  I also discussed my strengths and weaknesses based on the self evaluation and the practice exam from the beginning of the course.  She looked over each activity and we discussed specific projects I could use to complete the selected activities.  It was not difficult for us to reach a consensus because I selected activities based on areas I knew she would want me to work  Mrs. Kohler was in agreement with all the activities I selected.  There were some resource individuals and time deadlines that we discussed, and ended up adjusting those areas.  Overall, I feel very confident in the activities we agreed on and I am excited to get involved in areas I most likely would not have been involved with before.

Leadership Interview

I was most fortunate to meet with my district's Chief Instruction Officer, Theresa Kohler.  Throughout the interview common themes ran throughout each response; communication and relationships with board members and other stakeholders.  I have worked with Mrs. Kohler in a variety of positions for several years.  She is currently my direct supervisor and a direct report to our Superintendent, Dr. Dan Powell. 

Mrs. Kohler's definition of leadership is based on support for the organization as a whole.  She said, "Good leaders can do this and build rapport."  Mrs. Kohler relates leadership to gears, and how they must all work together in the right groove to get the job done.  She comments that a district leader is able to make decisions that impact the big picture as one of the positive aspects of the position.  Another positive aspect is the ability to work with a wide variety of people. As with any position, there is also a negative side that must also be dealt with.  The most difficult part of the position for Mrs. Kohler is the politics that are involved in every decision.  She feels a constant struggle between what you want to do for a person, campus, or department and what political spin will go along with that decision.  She also confesses that the constant loss of control over her calendar is another area she has had to deal with.  As you move up the chain of command the more your calendar is dictated by those you serve.

Another question that really stood out to me was the attributes of a good Superintendent.  Mrs. Kohler feels a good Superintendent must have the ability to build rapport and balance politics with expectations.  The need for a good support team so that the Superintendent has the ability to think globally is another key aspect.  As I reflect on myself as a leader I can see this would be a difficult area for me.  I very much like to have control on the little things and must learn to better delegate tasks to those that are competent.  Once again, the area of communication was discussed.  A good Superintendent must have the ability to talk to all stakeholders in such a manner that suggestions you are making are thought of as their own suggestion.  Conflict and issues must be addressed immediately, and such information must be shared quickly so that the district can get their story out before the media spins the situation out of control. 

An ethical leader is one that applies expectations consistently to all, and expects to be held to a higher standard on their own merit.  Mrs. Kohler gives an example of her own department.  It was discussed that due to the type of funding utilized to pay for some of the coordinators it was imperative that appropriate time calculation must be utilized.  It was determined that they would need to use the district's time clock system to track the time and location of work.  Rather than simply directing the individuals that required such need, she also punches in and out each day.  I was particularly glad to hear this portion of the interview since this is also my view on leadership.  Why would I ask someone else to perform a task that I am not also willing to perform myself?   

I was particularly interested  to find out the answer to the question regarding a good working relationship with the Board of Trustees.  Our board has a very interesting dynamic at this time, which I am sure many Boards do, and I have always wondered how it is possible to keep all seven of these individuals happy at the same time.  After speaking with Mrs. Kohler she also wonders how this is done at times, but she does offer up one strong suggestion.  Rather than communicating with each Board member, it is important to utilize the officers of the Board.  Our current Superintendent sends all communication to the Board President, Board Vice President, and Board Secretary.  He then leaves it up to those individuals to disseminate the information appropriately.  I thought this was a very profound way of working with the system instead of against the system.  It is also the responsibility for the Superintendent to put a stop to the personal agendas of the Board members and make sure that the focus is on the good of the district as a whole.

As with any good leader, it is important to address the areas of weakness.  Mrs. Kohler states the district's staff development as the weakest area.  Due to a variety of personnel changes and organizational structure changes this has been an area to fall through the cracks.  She plans to streamline the umbrella of initiatives that everyone needs training for.  She wants to match the specific training areas to the employee's job description.  Mrs. Kohler feels this is the only way to improve the performance of all staff members.

I am most grateful for the opportunity to glean such valuable information from such a wonderful leader.  I will utilize this information to help guide my internship decisions, and my future as a Superintendent.



 

Vita

I really had to work at following the Vita format rather than the traditional resume format.  Please give me feedback.

Melissa Block

4524 Bucking Bronc Drive, Benbrook, TX.76126

(W) (817) 297-5080; (H) (817) 443-0058; melissablock@sbcglobal.net

Education/Certification

M. Ed.                                                 Educational Administration,
                                                            Tarleton State University,

                                                            Stephenville, TX, 1997

BS                                                       Interdisciplinary Studies,
                                                            Tarleton State University,

                                                            Stephenville, TX, 2002

Superintendent Certificate              Texas (In progress)

Principal Certificate                         Texas

Teacher Certificate                          Elementary Reading (1-8), Texas

                                                           Elementary Math (1-8), Texas

                                                           Elementary Self Contained (1-8), Texas

ESL Education                                 ESL Supplemental (1-8), Texas

Administrative Experience

Principal, Bess Race Elementary School,

Crowley Independent School District,

Crowley, TX, 2006-present

§  Implemented CSCOPE curriculum and whole school approach to after-school tutorials in order to improve academic achievement. TEA Recognized Campus 2008-2010

§  Utilized the PDAS system to define and monitor high expectations for staff performance.

§  Analyzed data from a variety of sources to make decisions.

§  Received the Community Builder Award; Sunrise Daylight Lodge No. 1433, Crowley, TX, October 1, 2007.

Assistant Principal, Bess Race Elementary School,

Crowley Independent School District,

Crowley, TX, 2002-2006

·         Facilitated effective resolution of conflicts in a timely fashion with students, teachers, and parents.

·         Implemented and trained other administrators with the district’s textbook tracking system.

·         Established programs to recognize students and staff for their contributions toward achieving goals.

Teaching Experience

Fifth Grade Math and Science Teacher,

Meadowcreek Elementary School, Crowley, TX, 1997-2002

·         Facilitated the use and integration of technology to enrich the curriculum.

·         Implemented sound, research-based instructional strategies in which multiple opportunities to learn and be successful are available to all students.

·         Built relationships and collaborated with colleagues to improve student achievement.

Presentations

• Block, M. (2011, September). How to Teach Like a Champion. Presentation at Bess Race Elementary for Gifted and Talented Professional Development, Crowley, TX.
• Block, M. and Murphy, J. (2010, November-January). Genius Denied. Presentation at Bess Race Elementary for Gifted and Talented Professional Development, Crowley, TX.
• Block, M. (2010, August). Curriculum Development and Implementation based on CSCOPE for Professional Development at Bess Race Elementary, Crowley, TX.

Additonal Training/Professional Development

• CSCOPE Conference, San Antonio, TX, 2011
• Differentiated Instruction: Strategies That Work, Crowley. TX, 2009
• Continuous Improvement, Crowley, TX, 2007
• Capturing Kids' Hearts, Crowley, TX, 2007
• DuPont Training, Crowley, TX, 2002
• New Jersey Writing Project, Crowley, TX, 1998

Professional Affiliations

Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2008-present

Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, 2002-present

References

References will be included on the following page, if requested.

Action Research

Action research seems like such a simple title for such a powerful process.  Action research is the process by which a specific issue is identified and a solution determined with the intent that the research will change future practices.  Although not required, action research is often conducted as a collaborative group. In past course experiences I was required to use an outdated textbook, and other such materials, to develop a paper that addresses a question posed by the professor.  Although this process often resulted in gained knowledge, it was always done on my own without input from colleagues, and did not usually address concerns or issues I was faced with in my job and ultimately interested in researching.  Working with others is such a professional growth experience.

Action research allows an individual or a group to focus on an issue directly related to their personal or professional experience. The same type of research techniques are utilized: identifying the issue, asking questions, analyzing the data, and then making an informed decision.  The main difference is the mode by which the research is conducted.  With so many new technology applications like wikis, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and online materials; information is more accessible than ever before.  We have become such creatures of networking and collaboration, so what better way to tackle common issues than action research.

I will use action research to work with my campus staff in many areas such as how to ensure we are effectively implementing the CSCOPE curriculum, are we doing all we need to do to meet the demands of the STAAR test, and throughout our campus based site team meetings as we address policies and procedures.  As a superintendent, action research would be utilized to evaluate the implementation of curriculum, the processes and procedures for the operations department, and to ensure proper use of resources. 

Blog Analysis

Well, I am very excited to begin my road to blogging.  Before this course I honestly had not put much thought into how a blog would benefit educational leaders.  Now that I have taken the initial step of creating a blog, and see how easy it is to get going, I realize the possibilities are endless.  Educational leaders could use blogs to share their vision and goals with stakeholders.  I now see how blogs would open the dialogue between campus administration and parents.  I often institute a policy or procedure that parents don't quite understand.  I usually end up explaining it to several individuals, but could use the blog to give the background information about the rationale to a larger group.  I am also excited to have connections with educational leaders outside of my current collaboration group.  Collaborating with other educational leaders is always so beneficial.