Reflections on competencies and job entry plan

The job entry plan is an outstanding idea. In my case, it gave me an opportunity to think through those things that I considered the most important to accomplish early in the job, the foundational elements.
Since I have no plans to leave my current district to pursue a central office position somewhere else, I was able to focus on this district, community, and our students more specifically. I found that the one thing that I kept coming back to was the need to bring our campuses, departments, and other entities together in pursuit of one goal: an improved eduational experience for our students. Therefore, I listed several meetings and information gathering/dispensing workshops as a high priority. We are a very small, poor district and despite our size have not communicated to each other or the community our shared vision. I also included meetings with the ESC and our local colleges and universities to see how we can better utilize their resources to benefit our students. One of the most important items was to develop a 5 year plan for facilities, finances, and student success. We have not planned ahead and the result has been that we do not know where we are going, so obviously we don't know how to get there.

The competencies always create a sense of confusion and anxiety when I study them. The job is so overwhelming and the competencies seem to intermingle so much that I just get confused. I know that the major themes, on the surface, are separate, but in the real world of our district (small, rural, poor) everything tends to run together and it is difficult to pull out individual steps since they are so intertwined. I believe one of the unspoken goals of this program is to get us to understand that the role of the superintendent is huge, but the real purpose of all of us in education, regardless of our title, is to help provide our students with an excellent education and the tools to be successful after they leave our care.

Reflections On Post SBEC Assessment

Post SBEC Self-Assessment and Reflection

I have grown considerably in several areas since beginning the series of courses at Lamar.  I have begun addressing the areas still in need of improvement (mainly in curriculum and finance) this school year in part because my current position in the district requires me to work with a TEA curriculum specialists as we work through an unacceptable rating with one of our subpopulations and our district has just finished a building project utilizing a bond.  So the areas that I considered very low at the beginning have been improved upon through the courses I’ve taken and real life circumstances.

I still believe I am in need of improvement in the first three parts of Competency 5 dealing with making effective curricular decisions based on pedagogy and curriculum design, implementing procedures to develop curricula, and implementing curriculum design and delivery systems.  I have learned a lot about these areas through the implementation of CSCOPE on our campus and working with our ESC during this process.  I am also in need of improvement in Competency 6 concerning the study of best practice and research, implementing a comprehensive school district program of student assessment, and applying knowledge of special programs.  Again, this year has brought me in contact more than ever with these areas in my daily job, but I know that I must gain more expertise in these areas before moving to the central office.  The final areas needing improvement all fall in the school finance area.  I need to work more on understanding the overall school budget planning and management process so that I can work collaboratively with the board in developing the budget.  I will also need to become more familiar with the auditing and monitoring systems, revenue forecasting, and the ins and outs of transportation, food services, and health services.

I believe myself to be competent in the majority of other areas including all of the indicators that concern knowing how to respond to and influence the political, social, economic, legal and cultural context to achieve the district’s educational vision.  Competency 5, other than the 3 items listed above, is an area in which I am at least competent.  I will be able to develop and implement collaborative processes for assessing and reviewing curriculum, use assessment to measure student learning and diagnose their needs, evaluate district curricula and provide direction for improving it based on research and facilitate the integration of technology into the district.  I also will be able to coordinate with other district staff to think creatively and will ensure that all staff members understand the accountability system. 

The areas in which I feel most confident and listed as strengths remain those dealing with working with others, modeling high standards, serving as an advocate for children, and serving as an effective communicator for the district.  These competencies are in Competency 1 through Competency 3.  Part of the reason for my confidence in these areas is that I’ve been in this district for 8 years and I know the community, board, and faculty and have a great relationship with these entities.  I believe that I know how to interact and communicate with them.  At this time I have no desire to go to another district in any capacity, so my strengths are reflective of my confidence in my ability to be effective in this district.