Revised VITA

Chandra Walters

 

 

 

 

Education/Certification

M. Ed.-Educational Leadership, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, Tx 77446

BA-Music Education, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059

Principal Certification-Texas

Elementary Self Contained (1-8)-Texas

All Level Music (PK-12)-Texas

Superintendent Certification Program

 

Administrative and Leadership Experience

Assistant Principal, Homer Drive Elementary School, Beaumont, Tx, 2006-present

·         Initiated implementation of Student of the Month and Staff Member of the Month

·         Chairs the Campus Education Improvement Committee

·         Serves as a member of the LPAC committee, Campus A.R.D Committee

·         Receives and distributes District Resources for classroom use

·         Develop and revise the master schedule with the Campus Educational Improvement Committee

·         Initiated implementation of School-Wide Literature Day to promote the importance of reading.

·         Assists with development of class rolls

·         Develops schedules for Early Morning duty and After-School Dismissal

·         Conducts Staff Appraisals Annually and monitors classrooms daily through classroom walkthroughs

·         Monitors student performance through the District Item Analysis, Sub-group Monitoring Report, Academic Support Team Meetings, Special Education Intervention Team Meetings, and Six-Week Portfolio Check

·         Handles office discipline referrals

·         Communicates with parents concerning student attendance

·         Initiated and Implemented Family Math Night involving all Pre-K through 5 Parents

 

 

 

 

Curriculum Coordinator, Homer Drive Elementary School, Beaumont, Tx, 2004-2006

·         Communicated on a daily basis with teachers concerning curriculum issues.

·         Organized TAKS Parent Workshops to inform parents about No Child Left Behind Act

·         Coordinated the Campus Extended Day Program to improve academic success for students in grades 3-5 in the areas of math and reading

·         Trained teachers to use technology applications and in interpreting data through Item-Analysis.

·         Coordinated the Campus Spelling Bee

·         Organized and lead the Campus Academic U.I.L Competition

·         Developed schedules for ARI/AMI Campus Tutors

·         Worked closely with the administrative staff in developing a plan to increase Math and Science scores

·         Developed The Writing Test Grade 4 for Title I Programs Assessment of Knowledge and Skills

 

Teaching Experience

Fourth Grade Teacher, Homer Drive Elementary School, Beaumont, Tx, 1996-2004

·         As Grade Level Chair, Developed an improvement plan to increase TAKS Writing Scores resulting in an increase of TAKS Writing scores from 85% to 100 %.

·         Conducted Campus Based Staff Development sessions as Math Lead Teacher

·         Served as Mentor Teacher for Lamar University Interns

·         Elected by colleagues and Served on the Campus Educational Improvement Committee for 2 years

·         Elected by colleagues and Served on the District Educational Improvement Committee from 2003-2005

·         Formed the Homer Drive Drill Team

·         Served as the Campus U.I.L Number Sense Coach for grades 4 and 5

·         Initiated implementation of Reading Club for grades 2-5 to promote the importance of reading

·         Initiated implementation of Math Club (3-5)

·         Served as campus Challenge 24 Coach

·         Employed each year for Title I Summer School Program Teacher

 

Art and Music Teacher-Homer Drive and Fletcher Elementary Schools, 1994-1996

·         Responsible for working with all staff members and students to present programs to present to parents during designated holidays.

 

 

Additional Training/Professional Development

·         National Conference for School Wide Discipline, Atlanta, GA, June2012

·         Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching, Houston, TX, July 2012

·         Splash Town-Conference for Pre-K Learning, San Antonio, Tx, July 2011

·         How To Handle Hard To Handle Kids, Houston, Tx, February 2007

 

Presentations

Milligan, D (2008, September). Time To Teach. Presentation at Homer Drive Elementary School, Beaumont, Tx, September 2012

 

Professional Affiliations

Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, 2000-present

 

 

References

References will be included on the following pages, if requested

 

3 Year Professional development Plan

Year 1	Texas Competency/Domain	Objective	Courses Workbooks Workshops	Mentor Professors	Completion Date	Evaluation
Goal	Competency 4 The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district’s educational vision	To communicate and work effectively with board members in varied contexts in order to work to achieve the districts mission	(can work for both goals)   Books *Be a People Person by John C. Maxwell   *Standards-based Leadership by Sandra Lowery and Sandra Harris   *Learning From the Best by Sandra Harris   After becoming a superintendent *Attend TASB Annual conference for team building strategies	Lamar Professors from Superintendent Certification Program   Dr. Timothy Chargois	June 2014	Self evaluation On books read.
Goal	Competency 4 The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district’s educational vision	To work with board of trustees to define and consistently adhere to mutual expectations, policies, and standards		Lamar Professors from Superintendent Certification Program   Dr. Timothy Chargois	June 2014	Self evaluation on the books read

Supervisor's Final Evaluation Reflection

I had the opportunity to conference with Dr. Timothy Chargois, Superintendent for the Beaumont Independent School District on April 18, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.  For this last conference, Dr. Chargois took 2 ½ hours to go through the Superintendent Internship Graduate Survey. As he completed the survey, he asked me what my perceptions were concerning each Domain and Competency was because many times he directed me to speak with more knowledgeable personnel in the district concerning internship activities. As we discussed my areas of strengths and areas of needed improvement, he stated that most new superintendents have a difficult time with finance and facilities and that I should not be discouraged. Remember what I told you. When you become a superintendent, surround yourself with the best staff that you can hire. Make sure that they are very knowledgeable about what they do and you will find success for your district. After discussing, the Superintendent Internship Graduate Survey, I had the opportunity to have a lengthy conversation regarding how to be a successful superintendent and what the board looks for in hiring the next superintendent. One piece of advice, he gave me in that regard is to be honest and let them see what you are passionate about. Do not go into the interview making promises, you know you cannot fulfill. If you do not are not being honest with the board and you are not being honest with yourself. That will lead you to an unhappy marriage between you and the board of trustees. Let them see you vision for the district and your skill set. What are you passionate about and let that passion shine in the interview. One thing that he believes the board of trustees saw in him when he interviewed was his passion for the students and for technology.  He let them know that he loves technology and we live in an age where students do almost everything with some type of electronic device. One school is piloting tablets in their math classes. Now that Beaumont ISD has built new buildings, he wanted to concentrate on building relationships in the community so that the district’s focus will be placed on student achievement and achieving the ultimate goal of graduating 100% of its students. We discussed what he believed were his achievements during the first year of his superintendency. He stated that when he became superintendent he observed before making any changes. He reassigned members of his cabinet and readjusted job assignments to help him to manage the district effectively. The financial department was in disarray and he believes that since he has placed that department underneath Dr. Bonton that the district’s finances are more transparent and balanced. He hopes that sometime in the very near future that the district no longer issue’s a paper check and that everything is accessible on line. Middle School Assistant Principals were reassigned to help Principals at those campuses mange their campus personnel and students more efficiently. We discussed the staff development office and how it is now efficiently and effectively run. I am proud that I have had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Timothy Chargois this school year through my Superintendent Certification program. He is an exceptional person and very passionate about the task at hand which is educating students.

Reflection on Internship Activities

CONCERNS

1. Vision-the goals of the project were stated but getting across the realization of the goals was difficult for teachers to understand.

 

2. Parent and Community-obtaining the right resources were difficult and getting parents to attend was a challenge.

 

3.Scheduling-making sure all parties were present for meetings in spite of. Working around everyone’s schedule so that organizers could attend meetings.

 

AFFIRMATIONS

1. Meetings-make sure that meeting are held regularly in order to ensure plans are on schedule.

 

2. Making sure that the activity that is piloted at one campus has been implemented in more campuses each year until the entire district is participating.

 

3.Math Supervisors-Ensure math supervisors are spearheading the event to help improve math test scores and increase parent knowledge of the tasks that students have to perform on standardized tests.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.Time frame-making sure that the activity occurs around the same time each year

 

2.Needed Resources-solicitation of donations and services from community members in a timely manner.

 

3.Parent Involvement-advertising well in advance so that parents and community members can have plenty of time to plan to attend and make prior arrangements.

 

EVALUATE

1. Survey Parents through online service or they can do telephone survey.

 

2. Survey staff members through on line survey

 

3 Monitor the event by attending yourself and talking informally with participants and workers to gage how well the event is going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommendations

 

The improvement initiative that I was able to start was a Family Math Night. I first asked Dr. Chargois if I could implement the project throughout all elementary campuses. He directed me to speak with Dr Shirley Bonton who is over elementary campuses and district curriculum.. I thought this may be a good project since I attended C.A.M.T for several years and one of the sessions was regarding a Family Math Night. There were staffing changes occurring in the district at the time that I asked permission to conduct the project. It was determined by the district that a math supervisor was going to be needed for elementary campuses. I took it upon myself to proceed in soliciting interest in the event by contacting several elementary campuses. All but one campus principal that I talked to agreed to participate. As I started introducing the event and activities and the vision for the event to my own campus staff, I came to the realization that this was not going to be as easy as I thought. Rather than try to implement this event district wide, the decision was made to pilot this event at one campus until the elementary math supervisor for the district had been hired and then make the recommendation for the event to be held district wide, with all campuses participating within the next two years.

 

One recommendation that I would suggest as this event was planned is that this project should be spearheaded by a district level supervisor such as the math supervisor. They would have the capabilities to organize meetings with campuses to make sure planning for the event is taking place. Planning for the event should occur in late September and that meetings are held monthly and then weekly 3 weeks before the event to make sure that everyone is adhering to time schedules. Another recommendation is to solicit donations from community members in a timely manner. They have paperwork to complete ahead of time before authorizing donations. You want to make sure that it occurs before at least 4-6 months prior to the start of the event. The main recommendation that I would like to make is to make sure that everyone understands the vision and that the vision and goals for the activity are properly communicated to stakeholders. If they understand the vision and goals they are more than likely more apt to participate and want to make it a success. Monitoring meetings and checking in with personnel that are creating resources to use for the event must be made on a continuous basis. Also making sure that there are adequate numbers of personnel assisting with making the event a success. Events should be scheduled so that it does not conflict with other events in the area. You want to maximize the number of people able to participate. Overall, the event was a success and next year look forward to bringing the idea to more campuses.

Career and Leadership Goals

Career and Leadership Goals

5 year plan

 

It is my ultimate goal that I am fortunate enough to obtain a position as an Assistant Superintendent. In order for me to reach my desired position, I know that I need to follow a specific path. There are several positions that I would like to hold for a number of years before reaching my ultimate position. Those positions are:

 

Elementary Principal: I hope to receive a principal position within the next 2 years. Being an elementary school principal would give me the opportunity to manage a staff along with students to be successful. Being an assistant principal has provided me the opportunity to be a good follower and to learn what it takes to be a successful principal. Now it is time for me to be a good leader. The assistant principal job has afforded me numerous opportunities to prepare for the principal ship. I want to start small scale first.

 

Secondary Principal: After being an elementary school principal, I would like to opportunity to be a secondary principal. I have a lot of experience at the elementary level. Elementary principalship and secondary principal ship have similarities and yet there are some differences. The experience on the secondary level would assist me in being successful in the next position that I obtain and in being a successful superintendent. I want to ensure that I am a well rounded superintendent and have experience and knowledge gained from a variety of positions.

 

 

 

 

Superintendent SBEC Reflection

BLOG REFLECTION

As I completed my post SBEC self-assessment, I thought about each domain and competency, identified areas of strengths, areas I was competent in, as well as areas needing improvement without reviewing the pre SBEC assessment completed in the first course. Afterwards, I was surprised at how much growth I felt I had made in many areas yet not surprised at my areas of concern.

 

The areas where I feel are my strengths are:

Competencies 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 10

 

I have made tremendous growth in the above competencies. I really struggled with competency 2 and 6 at the beginning of the superintendent internship, but after participating in the internship assignments and activities I feel confident in those areas. Competency 2 was my weakest area at the beginning. Creating a vision and articulating that vision to all stakeholders is extremely important.  The following are a few of the areas where there was significant improvement:

 

·         Implementing strategies for involving all stakeholders in the planning process and for faciliting between constituencies

·         Recognizing and celebrating contributions of staff and community toward realization of the district’s vision.

 

Often times I found myself working on a project on my own without involving others in the process. It is important to know the goals and to work as a team in order to accomplishment those goals. Everyone matters and everyone has great ideas that should be taken into consideration. Once those goals are accomplished, it is important to recognize those individuals that assisted in realization of the vision. Everyone wants some type of recognition for their hard work.

 

The areas I feel competent in are:

Competency 3 and 10

Comparing the post assessment to the pre-assessment, I made gains in the above areas, but I would not consider them areas of strength just yet. Communication and collaboration along with being a good decision maker and problem solver are key areas in being a successful superintendent.

 

Areas I feel I need improvement are:

Competencies 4, 8, and 9

 

These 3 areas deal with collaborating and working with the school board, finances, and facilities. I struggled with the above areas. I still have much research to do in order to gain more knowledge to be successful in these three areas. Finances are the weakest for me out of the 3. There is so much involved with taxes and federal funding that the time in one class was not sufficient enough for me to be confident with handling the district finances. Many superintendents eventually attempt to encourage voters to pass a bond issue in order to improve facilities. The job of a superintendent to get a bond issue passed and the legal ramifications with working with contractors and contracts are other areas that I will study more on.

Final Reflection on School Finance Course

My Reflection about School Finance

          As I contemplate what I will focus on in this paper, there is so much I could say about school finance. I entered this course unaware of the magnitude and the scope of what all is involved in school finance. It has been overwhelming, but there were several things that I have learned.

          Actually looking at the school budget, especially the M & O budget was especially interesting. I was able to learn what programs were funded under this budget. Budgets are goal driven. The school board develops the goals and then district and campus plans are developed around those goals. Once those goals are defined, the school budget is developed from those goals. Everything must have the students in mind in the end. This year, in my district, the focus is to prepare seniors for that next level, whether it is college, career, or the military. They must stay in school in order to prepare them for that long range goal so additional counselors have been hired at the high schools in order to focus on getting students to remain in school and preparing them for what life has to offer in the future. In order to hire additional personnel, first the goal had to be established by the school board regarding the dropout rate for secondary students. Then the Superintendent must look at the budget in order to make sure there is enough funding to support hiring additional positions in the district. I think that learning about developing the goals and then the budget around your goals was the main idea that I know as a superintendent I will want to do first and foremost. The weekly lectures, readings, and resources were very informative. There are so many resources out there to assist any Superintendent needing assistance with the district budget that I was not aware of. As a Superintendent, I will need to have a well skilled numbers person employed as CFO of the district. Our CFO resigned his position in August and one has not been named as of yet but, interviewing the Superintendent and the Business Manager of the district helped me to understand school finance was interesting. They helped me to learn as much as I can in a short period of time on school finance. This topic is one that I know I will need to continue to study and have hands on experience in because it is so detailed oriented and so involved, one can’t possibly learn all there is to learn within 5 weeks.

          Communicating with fellow colleagues and professors through Blogs and WIKI’s has been interesting to say the least. I know that we are in a technology age and as time progresses, so will the technology. There was overwhelming opportunity to practice this skill so I believe I have the hang of it. I think finding the time to reflect on lessons learned through Blogs should be an important part of the Superintendency. Most times we go about our daily lives working in our respective positions and rarely hear from our top leader. By creating and communicating through a blog helps the Superintendent promote the following Superintendency Competency: interact with district staff, students, school board, and community, in a professional and ethical manner. As far as the Superintendency Competency, I don’t know everything and have grown in some areas through this course. I have more to learn and many areas to grow in. Continuing to grow and learn is what makes us great leaders.