SISE Reflection

http://www.flickr.com/photos/riccardo_cereser/

The SISE Conference with Dr. Bowman was held on Wednesday May 2, 2012.  Dr. Bowman did not discuss any concerns. She felt that all of the activities were appropriately accomplished. We discussed some upcoming projects and the timelines for implementation. She then completed the SISE form and marked exceeds on each competency with comments listed to support her evaluation. The conference went well.  I look forward to my future in the district ,as I continue to gain a deeper perspective of public education.  The conference reinforced the importance of keeping your supervisor informed. Throughout this journey, Dr. Bowman and I have worked closely to ensure that activities were being completed according to the timelines we developed earlier in the year. Many of the projects were closely related to my current position which assisted me in developing a stronger understanding for the position.

Week Five Assignment, Part 1 and Part E of the Three Year Professional Development Plan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdell/

Year One

Goal	TExES Competency and Domain	Objective (What do you want to improve?)	Course Work/Book/ Workshops (How do you want to improve?)	Mentor Professional Support (Who will help you improve?)	Date of Completion	Evaluations (How will you know you have improved?)
Observe the implementation of the district’s strategic planning	Domain 1 Competency 5	Facilitating the implementation of the strategic plan.	Attend workshops and webinars offered by Cambridge strategic Services	Dr. Lindsey Gunn Dr. Vickey Giles	5-1-13	By monitoring and evaluating the level of implementation of the strategic plan.
Implement TASA’s Transforming Schools Model	Domain 1 Competencies 2 and 6	Learn strategies to improve the quality of education delivered.	Attend the TASA Mission: School Transformation workshop	Dr. Vickey Giles Dr. Joan Bowman	4-1-13	Hold administrative workshops to begin the transformation process.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/horrgakx/

Year Two

Goal	TExES Competency and Domain	Objective (What do you want to improve?)	Course Work/Book/ Workshops (How do you want to improve?)	Mentor Professional Support (Who will help you improve?)	Date of Completion	Evaluations (How will you know you have improved?)
Facilitate the ongoing study and best practice related to district wide RTI implementation	Domain II Competency 6	Improve knowledge of RTI process to develop leadership skills that ensure district wide consistency	(How do you want to improve?) Participate in the District Student Assistance Review Team	(Who will help you improve?) Kelly Sebastian	May 2014	Analysis of RTI referral data
Improve the evaluation tool for counselors or select a new one.	Domain 2 Competency 7	Provide consistency across campuses for the evaluation of school counselors.	Review evaluation tools from a variety of districts and from TEA.	Cindy Campbell	May 2014	A district adopted tool will be selected.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gato-gato-gato/

Year Three

Goal	TExES Competency and Domain	Objective (What do you want to improve?)	Course Work/Book/ Workshops (How do you want to improve?)	Mentor Professional Support (Who will help you improve?)	Date of Completion	Evaluations (How will you know you have improved?)
Gain knowledge about the procedure for school facilities planning and construction	Domain  3 Competencies 8 and 9	Make renovations to the King High School auditorium.	TASBO workshops	SHW and RWS architects Larry Pfeifer	7-15-2015	Plans for the renovation will be developed.
Become proficient in developing staffing patterns for campuses and Central Office.	Domain 3 Competency 8	Ensure that campuses are properly staffed.	Mid- Winter TASA conference Personnel Meetings	Marna Harper	4-1-2015	A staffing model for campuses will be developed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/

In developing this 3 year plan, I am again reminded of the importance of having a roadmap to assist you in  getting to your destination. By reflecting on the activities throughout the courses I was able to identify areas for further growth. As the years pass, I am sure that the plan will morph to reflect the changing skill levels I have in each competency. As long as I can identify positive mentors in the field of education, I will have strong individuals to turn to and ask for guidance. Even for a superintendent it is important to identify these key people. Everyone needs a strong network to guide and assist them.

EDLD 5399 Week Four Assignment, Part 1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdubbs/

Reflection is a type of learning that develops out of experience. It gives one an opportunity to evaluate their experiences and make judgments regarding their success and shortcomings. Many times we become bogged down in the actual experience not pausing to reflect on the actions that were taken. Reflection is a powerful learning tool. During the Lamar Principal’s Academy, Dr. Bob Thompson stressed the importance of reflection. This is a lesson I have not taken lightly.  I appreciate it when a leader takes the time to reflect on thier decsions and improve their leadership style as time passes.  This is the kind of leader I strive to be.  Although reflection is often personal, that does not mean it should always be private. Much is to be said for the individual who is willing to openly discuss their experiences and heed the advice of those around him. As I finish this course, I am reminided of the importance of reflection for the students who walk the halls of our school each day. Are we asking them to reflect? Are we giving them time?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickmach/

During the superintendent’s certification course, I have taken time to reflect on many assignments. The first that comes to mind is the comparison of the financial status of two school districts. This was an interesting assignment that reinforced the need for substantive change within the school finance system of Texas. The gap between the school district in regards to their target revenue was substantial.  Over the next few years, we will witness litigation over the way schools are currently funded. For the kids’ sake I hope we get it right.

Another assignment that was interesting, dealt with termination and non-renewals. This assignment provided the learner with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the requirements and steps required to dismiss someone from the district who may be under contract.  This information has been invaluable. In my current position, having knowledge of DFBB is not enough. One must follow the policy precisely to ensure that each step is carried out in an appropriate order and within the timelines that are dictated.  From experience, I can state that the timelines are short and leave little time for preparation for a non-renewal hearing.

The development of a blog was one of the assignments that I was apprehensive about at first. However, as time progressed I came to enjoy posting information and pictures to my blog. I enjoyed reviewing the posts of other classmates and really looked forward to their comments. A blog is an easy way for a superintendent to brag about activities across a school district. It is easily accessible to most parents and can provide community members an avenue to see what is going on in a district in which they may not have children attending. What a great way to keep taxpayers informed.  

Sheldon I.S.D. Board of Trustees

Throughout the year, I have attended all of the board meeting and a couple of the board workshops as part of my campus supervised logs. Sheldon I.S.D. is fortunate to have a board that works together for the betterment of our schools. Although they do not agree at all times, they present a united front in public.  One of the biggest discussion points this past year has been the letter of support for the establishment of a foreign trade zone for 300 acres on a 3000 acre site. This discussion was mulled over for eight months with some deep discussions taking place. However, in the end the board worked together and made the decision that they felt was in the best interest of the students within the district. Watching the board approve and reject action items is interesting. Rarely is an item placed on the board agenda if it is not going to pass unanimously. The superintendent works very diligently to inform and determine the level of board support for an item before it is placed on the agenda.  This is a good routine for a superintendent to follow when developing board agendas.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alper/

Another internship activity for my supervised logs was the development of a district strategic plan. During the strategic planning sessions, we used many discussions and small group activities to develop consensus. The important thing was not to rush to consensus. It must be built from the ground up. Often one group would feel strongly for the inclusion of an item while another group would want it omitted. Those items were tabled, while membership of the small groups was rearranged, then the item was brought out again for discussion. In reflection the steps were relatively simple. First, we posed a problem or an issue. Then we brainstormed in groups or individually to develop solutions. After solutions were posted on chart paper, we ranked the possible solutions and looked for areas that could be combined or eliminated. Then when we had a manageable list the items were ranked. We did not focus on money or time. We were simply looking at a plan to take us further than where we are now.  Once we had set the priorities, we took the goals to outside committees that developed action steps that would be approved by the original group.  Once all of this was completed, the plan was presented to the Board of Trustees by members of the community, parents, business partners and students to garner support while showing the comprehensive collaboration of the plan. I enjoyed this experience and will use many of the strategies in the future.
 

Reflecting on the assessments throughout the course has also been a valuable experience. I have been able to look closely to see how many of the questions are formatted to reflect the state competency test.  The tests often solidified my knowledge of a particular subject and forced me to reassess my strengths and weaknesses.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63620054@N08/

In the future, I plan to continue to incorporate reflection as a learning tool. By identifying the need for reflection to be a purposeful activity that occurs regularly both privately and publicly one can ensure that reflection is useful.  During my internship, my attention was drawn to the ORID model of strategic thinking. This model can be effectively used for reflection.  It incorporates the following steps: Objective, Reflective positive, Reflective negative, Interpretive and Decisional.  This process gives one a place to start and a process to work through to strategically reflect on experiences. The same process can be utilized as a facilitation strategy during group projects.  One of the ways I plan to utilize reflection is to incorporate time into my calendar to go back into outlook and document the positives, negatives and items that are in need of change. This will assist to improve the planning of those items that reoccur as well as give information to build on for future projects.

For those reading this blog, I challenge you to watch the attached video. Perhaps it is time we actually reflect on how we provide public education. Is it time for a change?

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms- Youtube