Interview

I really enjoyed my interview with Juan Garza of Kings Canyon Unified School District.  I was actually hired by Sanger Unified his first year as Superintendent in Reedley and didn't want to release me from my contract.  Interesting how life brings people back on your path.  He asked some really good questions that made me think.  Being a second year administrator, I felt like the kid on Slumdog Millionairre because I have had experience with them.  My favorite part is when I got to ask him questions about leadership, what he looks for in an administrator, and what kind of support he provides new administrators.  I was really impressed with the way he runs his district.  This was another great experience provided to us by our professors.  I've been through a few of these interviews and I suggest everyone apply for every administrative position to get the experience of the interviews.  My first admin interview was for a district level job and people thought I was crazy.  I didn't get the job but I went through a grueling interview that helped me for others.  Good luck to all!  Thank you to our professors.  I'll see you when I see you. 

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN/CAPSTONE PAPER

Wow, the last assignments.  Is it really almost over?  These assignments required me to dig deep into my soul to complete.  Where do I need to improve?  I believe I need to get better at working collaborately.  I have been known to not trust others to do the work and I realize that is not the way to lead.  It must begin with discussions to establish trust and it doesn't have to be completed that day.  I guess that has always been a problem for me.  When we decide to do something I want it done by the end of the day.  I have begun to understand that sometimes it is about the process and the foundation that is build during that process.  I plan to meet each week with my department heads and PLC leaders to have these discussions and determine how I can best support them. 
With regards to the capstone paper, it was encouraging to talk about the many programs and services we have at  Sanger High but it was also a little disheartening to see how we need to make these services better.  We have got to find a way to make interventions inviting to students that need it and not like a punishment.  We need to find a way to motivate students to understand the importance of seeking additional support after school.  Parental involvement is also an area where we can improve dramatically.  I don't understand the disconnect at the secondary level.   This is a conversation we will be having in our admin meetings.  I have some ideas. 
Overall, this has been a great experience.  Aside from all the reading, papers to write, late nights, confusion, and stress, it has been a phenomenal learning experience.  I truly felt more comfortable in my position each week.  Thank you to all of my peeps and to our awesome instructors. 

ELAC/Board Meeting Blog

This assignment was very interesting for a couple of reasons.  First of all, one of my duties this year is to oversee the English learner program which includes ELAC.  I had to develop an agenda for our first meeting and it went very well.  Since it was our first meeting, the agenda items included introductions, elections, introduction of the different sections of the ELAC binder, future dates, and a survey for upcoming discussions.  The meeting was very well attended and lasted about 45 minutes.  I was excited by the turnout and the opportunity to make our parents feel more connected to the school.
The board meeting was quite an experience.  After some pleasant presentations from the Sanger High ASB President and a gift from the Tom Flores Foundation the meeting turned pretty tense.  Some teachers in the district were pretty upset about the current observation form and some felt that they would be facing placement in our PAR program if things did not change.  Everyone's mood changed and the board and district administration asked that the issue be looked into and resolved.  Overall, it was a good meeting and a unique experience into yet another side of the education world. 

Budget Blog

The budget activity was very helpful in learning about the different funding sources at our school.  I was amazed at the amount of money we spend each year.  It was also interesting to see how we pay for our CSP's whose salary come from our EIA funding.  My school feels that this is the best way to spend our money- on people. 

Last Session

I was really impressed with Dr. Bradley's knowledge of school finances.  His discussion regarding school and district budgets was interesting as well as information on bonds and taxes.  I appreciated the background as to why California struggles to adequately fund its schools.  The Priest decision and Proposition 13 definitely changed the way California allots money to its schools.  As a leader, it is extremely important to know how to manage your school's finances and use the money to accomplish the goals set forth by your mission.  At my school, we choose to use a significant amount of money on our Curriculum Support Providers.  They assist the Assistant  Principal's with classroom walkthroughs and coaching and serve as a bridge between administration and the teachers.  Our high English learner population also requires us to properly fund our ELD and intervention programs.  Thank you for bringing in such knowledgeable leaders to share their information with us. 

Ch. 7

Chapter 7 was a good way to conclude a very good book.  I enjoyed how the book began with Jeff's story as a new administrator that possessed the traits outlined in the book.  It was great to see his journey come to an end in such a remarkable way.  The testimonies from people that worked for him were heartfelt.  It was amazing to see the impact he had on so many people's lives and that they came from all stakeholders in the schools from teachers, to secretaries, to custodians.  Jeff clearly epitomizes the kind of administrator that I want to be.  This book, along with The Speed of Trust, was my favorite and really allowed me to reflect on myself as a person and administrator. 

Weekend Seminar

I really enjoyed the learning that took place at the Clovis Center.  The speakers were extremely competent with the material that they presented.  Rebecca Rowe's presentation ran the gamut of what you need to know as an administrator especially in the areas of discipline and special education-two areas that can get you in trouble if you make mistakes.  I felt the most important thing to do is document everything.  Documentation is vital to ensuring that due process is used when dealing with students or teachers.  Another critical learning was how to deal with probationary, temporary, or ineffective teachers.  I believe this is similar to the Trust chapter in Leadership Connectors in that you have to be honest when supervising teachers.  It is important to give accurate evaluations so that they may understand how critical it is to improve their instruction or classroom management.  It is very difficult to enact change when teachers become tenured. 
Dr. Hauser's presentation was my favorite because she presented ideas that can be implemented immediately.  It becomes very clear pretty quickly that meetings are a constant expectation as an administrator and learning ways to run more effective meetings was encouraging.  An effective meeting must be pre-planned with objectives, outcomes, and processes to ensure that decisions are made in a timely manner.  Her presentation further demonstrated the need to design a collaborative meeting in which everybody has a role and an equal voice in the decisions that affect a school.  I look forward to using her model when developing an effective meeting. 
Dr. Torosian is definitely a knowledgeable person in the area of discipline.  His attention to detail has proven to be effective based on the low percentage of cases being overturned through the appeal process.  His honesty when dealing with administrators ensures that things get done correctly the first time.  As an administrator, it is very important to develop a good working relationship with your Director of Child, Welfare, and Attendance as there will be many situations where you are unsure how to proceed.  A phone call to them is always good to get direction or confirm your ideas for how to proceed. 
Finally, I felt that Dr. Wise and Dr. Buster's presentation on the FRISK process was very good.  I have used the FRISK model this year and am a big fan of it.  It makes writing a difficult letter much easier because the design forces you to focus on the facts and limits your desire to embellish the situation with unnecessary details.
I appreciated very much that we did not have down time.  All of our time was used to learn strategies that are critical in becoming an effective administrator.  I am not a fan of losing my weekend but there was a lot of good learning that I can start using immediately and for that I appreciated the opportunity to attend this weekend.