Rhonda Page EDL 773 Moral Issues in Educational Leadership Dr.

Bev Nance Timeline 1994

9/4/12

I was asked by Bob McCoy to serve as the Math Department Leader at Westbury Christian School in Houston, Texas. This was my first formal leadership role as an educator, and it taught me to see a bigger picture than my classroom, to communicate with colleagues, and to allocate resources in a fair manner. My older brother, Terry Hamm, was killed in a car accident. I view this as a key event in my leadership development, as his voice still resonates in my head Aw, mom. Im just trying to make her tough! When issues arise that seem insurmountable, I feel him cheering me on to persevere and do what is right for the sake of students. I was hired by Jody Stauffer in the Parkway School District to teach math and science to students who were out on long-term suspension. During these years, I learned a great deal about behavior theory, and the staff (including James DeLuca, Lori Newcomer, and Mary Byrd) worked as a collaborative team to design and implement a Levels System. We were asked to present at the At-Risk Conference at Tan-Tar-A, and spoke to educators from across the state about our work. I designed and built our master schedule of course offerings, I served as our district liaison for the Professional Development Committee, and I facilitated multiple summer workshops for our staff. It was during these years that I learned that leadership was independent of a title or position, and that all students could learn and prosper, given the right conditions. Never, ever, give up on students. I was hired by Jenny Marquart to teach math at Parkway North High School. Two of these years, I served as the Lead Mentor and helped facilitate New Teacher Orientation. I led summer workshops for the math department staff, and helped us incorporate technology (plotting software) into our geometry classrooms. I was trained as a Critical Friends facilitator, and led Critical Friends groups at North High. During these years, I also earned a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from Maryville University. Dr. Deschamp was my mentor, and I learned from his example about servant leadership. I also learned about Systems Thinking, and how to incorporate multiple perspectives when in leadership roles. Teachers need teachers, too. I was hired by Jenny Marquart to serve as an Administrative Intern at Parkway North High School. I was paired with Mike Prange, guidance counselor, to casemanage the Class of 2007. I worked with Professional Development and Standardized Assessment, creating and implementing school-wide plans for both. Steve Colombo, Parkways liaison to Special School District, taught me about IDEA and how I can use my leadership and position to protect and serve students with special needs. Staff and students deserve my bestfor me to invest my heart, time and energy into helping them be successful. I was hired by Dr. Jenny Marquart to serve as an Assistant Principal at Parkway North High School. In addition to Dr. Marquart, Dr. Karen Calcaterra, Keith

1995

1996 - 2002

2002 2005

2005 2007

2007 2012

Rhonda Page EDL 773 Moral Issues in Educational Leadership Dr. Bev Nance Timeline

9/4/12

Sanders, Kris Kellams have been ideal colleagues to work and grow with. During these years, I assumed all responsibilities for the Master Schedule, and learned how to collaborate with Department Leaders to wisely allocate staffing resources, maximize building space, and to create a schedule that honors the needs of both students and staff. Most recently, I learned how to redesign the Master Schedule to allow staff time during the school day to collaborate in a Professional Learning Communities model. As Parkway School District has adopted the PLC model and has implemented Schooling by Design, I learned to listen to staff for just the right moment to help them learn and grow, while also working to not overburden or stretch them too thin. I learned to not give up on staff members who are initially resistant to change, but to be patient, and to give them extra time and supports. I learned to listen, and let others discover their own learning, rather than to provide them with all of the answers. I learned the importance of being a cheerleader for staff members who take risks in an effort to benefit students. I learned how to comfort a community when one student takes the life of another students parent. I learned to help students and staff members process and move forward after they discovered that a teacher and colleague was a former porn star. I learned how to help students share with their families they are about to be parents. I learned how to mediate conflicts between students, as well as conflicts between staff members. I learned that discipline consequences do not have to be harsh or communicated sternly in order to be effective. I learned how to design and implement an intervention program designed to honor the belief that all students can learn, given proper time and supports. Each and every day, I learn something new some new morsel that I can apply in future situations, usually when I least expect it. While there are several key people and events that I can identify as significant influences along the way, I also do not want to discount the sum of these daily interactions, as I know the experiences influence the moral code by which I serve.