EDLD 5399: SISE Conference Reflection

     My superintendent completed my SISE on June 7, 2011.  We scheduled a conference to go over the evaluation on June 20, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.  Dr. Cavness and I discussed ways to gain more experience in central office operations by becoming more involved when possible.  I asked him about allowing me to continue to work with others and ask questions about different areas such as school finance.  He said that would be great, and the more involved I can be, the better.  I was encouraged by the positive comments made on the form and that he has high expectations for me in the futrue.  

EDLD 5399: Three Year Professional Development Reflection

     Working on the professional development plan made me think about what I wanted to get accomplished within the next three years.  I found myself thinking about personnel growth and ways to improve my leadership abilities to prepare me for future possibilities on my professional journey.  I felt I needed improvement in becoming more community oriented, technology proficient in terms of applications, more aware of the major issues regarding public education, well versed in school finance, and better in determining the staff development needs for our teachers with regards to our increasing Hispanic and economically disadvantaged populations.  Something I feel I need to accomplish is the ability to speak Spanish.  I set this a one of my three year goals and would like to be able to communicate with both students and parents in Spanish to be able to provide them with information about school rules and procedures and to relay why education is so very important for all children.  The plan made me think of how I would accomplish the goals and what I would use to evaluate the goals.  We all need goals for continued improvement.  Actually writing out a plan helps to keep the goals in focus and to think about what we all would like to accomplish.

EDLD 5399: The Value of Reflection

     Reflection is an essential skill need for continued growth on our leadership journey.  Examining how and why we dealt with different situations allows you to make course corrections.  Similar situations will arise and we want to be able to handle them with greater confidence.  We all want to do things the right way that is the most beneficial for students and our schools.

     Being able to reflect on the many things we have done in this superintendent program has enabled us to see the tremendous growth we have achieved since October.  I know I have gained much more knowledge and learned many more skills than I had thought.  Reflecting help bring to light the amount of learning that has taken place. 

     Reflecting is not something that should be done only in our work environment, but should be utilized throughout our lives both personally and professionally.  It is a great skill that will help us everyday.  I believe we all have used reflection in some way or another.  We may not have used the term reflection or written our thoughts and feelings down all the time, but doing so in this program has reinforced the value of  reflection.  

EDLD 5399 Week 3: District Improvement Initiative

All schools today are faced with the same dilemma, how to remain current with societies’ increasing use of technology.  Starting in kindergarten through college and into our work environments technology is being used more and it is becoming a necessity for all students to have technological capabilities.  The changing technological advances are causing school districts to become even more creative with budgeting and financial planning.  Equipping both staff and students with the tools to be technologically proficient is a challenge for any school district.  Examining my district’s campus improvement initiative, we focused on increasing the use of technology throughout our district by our students and staff.  A tremendous amount of time and effort has gone into the development and planning for district wide incorporation of technology.   The district began with a district technology committee and sought input from students, parents, district personnel and board members about technology for the district.  The planning process began several years ago and plans for use and implementation have continually changed over the years.  Answering the questions of why, what, how, and when for technology in our district had to occur early in the planning and development process.  Technology for schools is not a simple issue.  The district’s yearly staff development plan for 2010-2011 school year focused primarily on technology throughout our district.  The district’s technology upgrade ideas came about primarily from an extensive bond project.  New campuses and academic wings all included up to date classroom technology.  The teachers needed training to learn to use the computers, mimios, document cameras, whiteboards, and flat screen effectively in their classrooms.  The district felt that a one-time or one-day training was not sufficient enough for our teachers.  We included several district early release days we called “Wired for Wednesdays” designed to provide additional training for staff members that were campus based.  The sessions were lead by teachers and were based on the technology level of the campus staff by dividing them into advanced, proficient, and basic levels.  They included how to effectively use and incorporate the classroom technology into the lessons.  We are also moving to a one-to-one laptop usage for students at the secondary level.  Sixth through twelfth graders will be issued a laptop to use for the entire school year.  The sixth and seventh graders will have one issued to them for use at school and eighth through twelfth will be allowed to take their laptops home everyday.  A technology usage fee was determined to be necessary for all students, which will begin at the beginning of the next school year.   After getting involved with the technology committee, several other questions came up and had to be addressed for proper technology implementation.  Without thoroughly planning and investigating all angles of the district improvement initiative it becomes extremely difficult to adequately prepare the students, parents, staff and district for changes.   Planning is the foundation of any change.  The most important lesson learned is to become involved within your district in the process, you learn more than by just observing.  For any initiative to be successful, there has to be a valid need and desire for change.  Changing the way we teach with technology inside our schools, how we allow students to use technology for lessons and assignments, parent understanding and commitment for change, and understanding school funding are all important skills for implementing successful changes.            

EDLD 5399 Week 2: Job Entry Plan

Job Entry Plan

            Proper job planning and organization is essential when seeking a new position within a school district or any organization.   Thinking about goals you would like to accomplish during your first day, first week, first month, and first year will be beneficial to anyone seeking a new career level.  There will be several areas and things that need to be learned and investigated in preparing for this kind of change.  On my first day as a new superintendent I would like to get settled into my new environment and learn about the people in the administration complex that I will be closely working with on a daily basis.  I would like to set my office up quickly, so visitors will get a sense of who I am and promote an image of organization.  My office would reflect some of my leadership style and personality in the décor and arrangement.  The major goal for the day would be to learn who and about the people on staff and begin building relationships with them.  Talking to them will provide them with the opportunity to learn more about family, my professional history, and me.  I would like to meet with them formally first as a group, then meet with them individually to get a feel of what they think are important issues within the school district.

            The first week I would focus on learning the school board members and would like to meet with them to review the districts goals, vision and mission.  Working with the school board and initiating building relationships would actually begin for me during the interview and hiring process.  I would like to quickly develop the team of eight relationships.  Learning the board is key to having a positive superintendent-board relationship.  They are the direct link to the citizens and understanding their desires will help me learn what to focus on for the district.  Additionally, during my first week I would make it a priority to learn the different campuses and facilities within the district and their leadership teams.  I would like to spend a morning or afternoon on each campus, just visiting with the teachers and staff.  I would tour and observe how each campus operates.  I would then call an administrative staff meeting to meet the district administrative team.  This, to me, would be very important.  Having a strong working relationship with them will provide valuable insight to unwritten needs of the district.  A large majority of the directives and changes in the district will begin at the campus level.  A strong cohesive administrative team will help continue progress for the universal goal of success for all students.

            During the first month I would have two main goals.  These would be to meet all community leaders and to meet the entire district staff.  I would invite the community leaders to an individual meeting and suggest we meet at their offices.  This would provide me the opportunity to become more familiar with the geography of the community.  I know they are very busy and this would allow them to decide the time for the meetings and exhibit a willingness to cooperate with them.  I would be able to gain insight into how the city feels about their local school district and get ideas on what they feel needs to improve in our schools.  After the first meeting I would invite them to the administration building or my office for the next meeting.  The second goal would involve learning the district personnel.  This would be completed by having meetings on all campuses within the month.  It would be more informal and provide them the opportunity to learn more my expectations for the district and my philosophy about educating students.  I would discuss the accomplishments of the district and the direction the district is heading. 

            The first year goal would be to  effectively lead the district by using the skills gained in our superintendent program.   The first day, week, and month were geared heavily in building campus, district, school board, and community relationships.  While those goals were being addressed all the other responsibilities of managing a multimillion-dollar business that has as their product highly educated students continued to exist.  Limited resources were needed for the first month.  The main thing needed for accomplishing those goals would be time.  For the first year all data pertaining to district operations would be needed for leading the district.  Primarily examining school funding, budgeting and fund allocations within the district will be needed to understand the financial state of the district.  Campus data such as scheduling, student population and staffing will be examined.  Campus budget needs will be investigated.  This will happen by working with the campus leadership teams.  Student population trends and revenue projections will be disaggregated to determine the future budgetary needs of the campuses and district.  The daily operations of the district will be examined and a daily schedule and monthly calendar will be developed for organizational purposes.  Being visible and involved in all aspect of the districts operations and procedures will occur to create a climate of awareness and to enhance district communications.  Major changes within the district will only occur based on the needs identified by the school board.  It is very important to learn the district, the way it operates and make changes that promote the welfare of the students and boost their education.           

EDLD 5399 Week 2: Superintendent Leadership Experiences

     Many of the experiences in this Superintendent Internship program have influenced my leadership on my current campus.  As a campus principal you have somewhat a microscopic sense of what the superintendent job entails.  The superintendent position carries a much greater responsibility than one can imagine.  These experiences have enlightened me to what a superintendent has to do on a routine basis.  Success for all students is a foundation for all superintendents.  Competency 1, the ability to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner provides the basis for student success.  By reviewing the job description and evaluation instrument of the superintendent, developing interpersonal skills, attending more board meetings, and meeting with office staff members I have gained a greater understanding for the need to promote the highest standards of behavior and lead by example.  Reviewing The Code of Ethics and Standards for Texas Educators, I am more aware of the policies and attitudes that display the best practices of ethical behavior.  Competency 2, shaping a district’s culture required reviewing several documents involving the district strategic plan, assessment data and analyzing the school’s vision and mission statements.  Understanding these documents required examining current school issues that help to build district support to promote a climate of high expectations that incorporates contributions form the staff and community.  Competency 3, stressed the importance of community interaction with the school district.  Analyzing the relationship between the school district and our two communities influenced the decision making process to ensure a successful education for all students.  Examining current parent involvement policies and learning about school to community communications has helped me understand the required necessary support of all stakeholders in the education of students.  Interviewing community leaders gave me their perspective on the quality of education within our district.  Competency 4, dealing with the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context and working with the board, is my overall weakest area.  Working with the board was not the issue.  Working with local, state and national political systems is where I need the most improvement.  The activities helped me realize my weakness in this area.  The internship activities dealt with learning more about the community and superintendent-board relationship, which was informative.  I wish I had involved more activities dealing with the political side of education.  The interviews with my superintendent increased my awareness of the importance of getting involved with the political aspect of a superintendent’s job.  I will continue to work on this area.  Competency 5, facilitating planning and implementation of strategic plans to enhance teaching and learning are a major reason I entered into education.  The activities involving data analysis and examining district curriculum and development, along with investigating campus and district level procedures help to stress the importance of the superintendent as being the district’s instructional leader.  Competency 6, promoting and sustaining an instructional program that leads to student learning and staff professional growth emphasized the importance of understanding the student population and programs available for students.  Students need to know they are important and valuable to all school programs.  Recognizing their accomplishments and learning how they feel about the educational and extracurricular opportunities at school help to understand how changes are affecting education.  Issues that were considered very serious five years ago, such as bringing their own electronic devices to school, are now minor offenses due to changes in society with electronic devices.  Competency 7, stressed the importance of quality staff evaluation and development systems for the improvement of all staff members.  Examining the district’s staff development plan and identifying the correlation with the district’s mission, student performance, and staff evaluations helped me further understand that all aspects of the district’s programs are interrelated and that each needs to reinforce the other systems in place.  Quality education requires quality teachers and support from the administration and board.  Competency 8, applying effective leadership and management for district budgeting, financial management, personnel, use of resources and technology was the area that I learned the most.  Understanding the major duties of office personnel, the process of requisitioning equipment and time management were all very beneficial.  The main area of growth for me was in the area of budgeting.  The planning and management of the budget, understanding more about how the state funds school districts and the effect the budget has on the overall educational process for a school district has helped me realize that funding drives everything.  Appropriate money allocation and management is vital to providing an education that meets the needs of all students.  I hope the state addresses the funding issues facing our state and properly takes care of our most important resource by providing them with the necessary resources for preparing them for their future outside of school.  Competency 9, leadership and management of the school facilities for a safe effective learning environment focused on the physical quality of our schools.  School safety will always be an important issue on our campuses.  The activities that investigated the supporting areas of school life like the cafeteria and buses helped me to learn these areas are vital to the school organization.  School and student safety concerns do not stop when students leave the classroom.  Proper attention needs to be given to all auxiliary areas of a campus to enhance the overall educational process.  Competency 10, organization, decision-making, and problem solving skills relate to federal and state requirements emphasized how important decisions made by the superintendent requires thinking about more than what is happening locally.  Interviewing the superintendent helped me to understand more about many of the requirements associated with the responsibilities of being a school superintendent.  The ability to work with the school board, community members, school personnel, and effectively communicating with all groups is extremely important to be an effective school superintendent.  A major portion of a superintendent’s time is dealing with problem solving.  Understanding state and federal requirements, desires of the school board and community are necessary skills for the school superintendent.  The superintendent is a position that requires more from an individual than any other position within a school district.  The internship activities, courses, and logs have provided many lessons and experiences about the superintendent position.  Learning about the necessary skills needed to be successful has provided me with greater understanding of what it means to be a superintendent.   

Professional Vita

James E. Arnett

215 LaMesa Dr., Bridge City, TX. 77611

(W)(409) 962-0225; (C) (409) 540-1702; (H)(409) 735-4803

jarnett@pngisd.org

Education/Certification

Master of Education                    Administration, Lamar University,

    Beaumont, TX., 2001                                 

Bachelor of Science                     Secondary Education, Lamar University,

    Beaumont, TX., 1989

Superintendent Cert.          Lamar University, Completed Program June 2011
                                                  

Principal Certification                  Standard, Texas

Teacher Certification                   6-12 Composite Science, Provisional, Texas

Educational Aide II                      Paraprofessional, Texas

Administrative and Leadership

Experience

Principal, Groves Middle School,

Port Neches-Groves Independent School District,

Port Neches, TX, 2010- present

• Achieved Recognized Rating for 2010-2011 
• Provided instructional leadership on campus
• Organized and developed the campus budget
• Provided campus staff development and conducted all faculty meetings
• Monitored and supervised all TAKS testing on campus
• Decided and supervised final decisions for bond construction including ordering materials for teachers/staff and the building
• Chairman of Tri-County Middle Schools, organized meetings and discussed athletic schedules and academic schedules with multiple campus principals

Director, Alternative Education Center,

Port Neches-Groves Independent School District,

Port Neches, TX, 2008-2010

• Controlled all areas of the campus operation
• Controlled campus budget
• Supervised Credit Recovery Program and Homebound Instructional Program
• Conducted and supervised all TAKS testing as Campus Testing
• CoordinatorCertified Crisis Prevention Institute Instructor and provided instruction district wide for crisis intervention
• Conducted expulsion meetings for recommendations to JCYA 

Assistant Principal, Port Neches-Groves High School

Port Neches-Groves Independent School District,

Port Neches, TX, 2006-2008

• Performed all duties required as assistant principal and assigned by the principal
• Performed discipline for 9^th through 12^th grades
• Distributed textbooks and collected them for the end of year textbook inventory
• Supervised pep rallies and was the administrator on duty for extracurricular activities
• Monitored student transitions/supervision
• Performed teacher appraisals, evaluation of student handbook, alternative placement hearings, expulsion and  JCYA hearings, scheduling for teachers for administering the TAKS test

Assistant Principal & Medical Magnet Coordinator, Central High School,

Beaumont Independent School District

Beaumont, TX, 2002-2006

• Performed all duties and responsibilites as an assistant principal
• Implemented Medical Magnet Program at Central HS
• Developed Dual Credit Programs with Lamar University and University of Texas
• Supervised student discipline, student attendance and court referrals, UIL Athletics and Academics, Extracurricular and Co-curricular Activities
• Was the administrator for the Ninth Grade Success Initiative Program in 2003
• Was the administrator for DANA Center TEXTEAM for Science

Teaching Experience

Chemistry & Physics Teacher, Bridge City High School

Bridge City Independent School District,

Bridge City, Texas, 1992-2002

• Provided instruction for chemistry, physics, physical science, and geology
• Committee memberships included of Site-Based Decision Making, Campus Advisory, Discipline Review, Hiring for Band Instructor, Textbook Review, Alternative Education Placement, 
• Sponsored UIL Science
• Member of Texas Math and Science Coaches Association
• Scoreboard operator for home football games
• National Honor Society Faculty Council

Chemistry & Physics Teacher, West Orange Stark High School,

West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District,

Orange, Texas, 1991-1992

• Provided all daily classroom supervision, instruction, and operations
• Taught content for physics and physical science
• Developed rules and regulations for classroom behaviors and expectations

Physic & Physical Science Teacher, Deweyville High School,

Deweyville Independent School District,

Deweyville, Texas, 1990-1991

• Provided all daily classroom supervision, instruction, and operations
• Taught content for physics and physical science
• Developed rules and regulations for classroom behaviors and expectations

District Homebound Teacher & Middle School Behavior Modification Program Aide,

Orangefield Independent School District,

Orangefield, Texas, 1990

• Provided instructional materials to homebound students from their main campus
• Gave instructions and explanations on assignments for homebound students
• Helped to manage and instruct students in middle school behavior modification classroom
• Assisted all behavior modified students during lunch period
• Monitored behavior modified student during physical education period

Earth Science Teacher, North Shore Middle School,

Galena Park Independent School District,

Houston, Texas, 1989-1990

• Provided all classroom instruction adhering to the district curriculum
• Supervised student transitions between classes
• Calculated all grades and averages for students

Biology & Physical Science Teacher, West Orange Stark High School Summer School,

West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District,

Orange, Texas, 1989

• Provided all instruction for summer school for biology and physical science courses
• Calculated all summer school student averages in courses taught

Related Experiences

Chemistry 141 Lab Assistant,

Lamar University Beaumont

Beaumont, Texas, 1988

• Provided laboratory instruction and assistance for lab portion of Chemistry 141

Math 1313 & Math 1314 Teacher and College Algebra Tutor,

Lamar University Orange,

Orange, Texas, 1983

• Provide quality instruction for introductory math courses
• Provided tutoring for students enrolled in college algebra

Professional Development

TASSP Summer Conference, Austin, Texas June 2011
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: Principal Update, 2010

TCASE Behavior Academy, Austin Texas, 2010

Response to Intervention - We're Just Beginning Day 3, Region V, Silsbee, Texas, 2010

Campus Coordinators/Principals TAKS Training, 2010

Response to Intervention - We're Just Beginning Day 2, Region V, Silsbee, Texas, 2009

Response to Intervention - We're Just Beginning Day 1, Region V, Silsbee, Texas, 2009 

Campus Technology Update, 2009

Chapter 37 Discipline/Law/Safe Schools, 2009

RtI Campus Procedures/Differentiated Instruction, 2009

Campus Coordinators/Principals TAKS Training, 2009

Discipline of Students with Disabilities, 2009

Discipline Drama: How to Avoid Common Mistakes, 2009

Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Certified Instructor, 2009

Leading Through Relationships for Administrative Teams, 2009

Handle With Care Certified Instructor, 2009

Five Personnel Laws Every School Administrator Must Know, 2008

RtI Skyward Family Access Training, 2008

19th Annual Law Conference, 2008

Conflict Resolution, 2008

Credit Recovery/Special Education Regulations, 2008

Campus Planning for 2008-2009

Strategies for Differentiated Instruction, 2008

Crisis Prevention Institute Certified Instructor, 2008

Motivating the At Risk Student, 2007

18th Annual Law Conference, 2007

Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Toolkit for School Administrators, 2007

Campus Planning, 2007

Worksheets Don't Grow on Dendrites, 2007

Leadership for the 21st Century, 2007

Skyward Discipline Training, 2007

Responding to Student Sexual harassment & Bullying in Schools, 2006

Administrative Leadership Training: Workforce, Education, & Economic Develop., 2006

Searching for Drugs and Weapons in Our Schools, 2006

Crisis Prevention Institute, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training, 2006

Emergency Operations Procedures/Basic First Aid, 2006

Drug and Gang Awareness, 2006

UIL Capital Conference at University of Texas at Austin, Instructional, 2005

Techniques, Increasing and Maintaining Involvement, & Integrating Technology, 2005

TAKS scores improvement for class of 2006: ELA 56% to 71 %, MTH 35%

     to 52%,SCI 32% to 53%, & SS 74% to 84% for Central High School , 2005

Best Practices II Conference, Dallas, Texas, 2005

      TEXTEAMS Mentoring Academies for H.S. Science, The Charles A. Dana Center
                 the University of Texas at Austin, 2004

     15th Annual Law Conference for Educators, Region 5 Ed. Service Center, 2004

Principal Individual Assessment & Individual Professional Development Plan, 2004

Annual Yearly Performance, Participation Rate for Sophomores:  Language Arts - 98%, Mathematics - 99%, Central High School, 2004

Director of Ninth Grade Success Initiative at Central High School, 2003

Director of Algebra Camp at Central High School, 2003

Framework For Understanding Poverty, 2003

Recognition of Academic Achievement in the Department of Educational Leadership,
          Perfect Academic Record (4.0), Lamar University Beaumont, 2002

 PDAS Certification, Lamar University and Region V, 2001

      Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 2000

      Instructional Leadership Development Cert., Lamar University and Region V, 2000

Polymer Chemistry, Lamar University, 2000

Focus Group Meetings, Region V, 2000

NASA's Johnson Space Center, Region V, 1999

Assessment and Curriculum Differentiation, Region V, 1999

Lift-Off to NASA's Educational Resources for Grades 6-12, Region V, 1999

TEXTEAMS Professional Development, Integrated Physics and Chemistry,

     Region V, 1999

Nature and Needs of G/T, Region V, 1998

Section 504 and ADA: Basic School District Requirements, Region V, 1997

33rd Texas Energy Science Symposium for Outstanding High School Teachers,

     University of Texas, 1993

Ideas, Activities and Strategies for the G/T Classroom, Region V, 1991

Classroom Management and Discipline Program Center for Initiatives in Education,

     Southwest Texas State University, 1991

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Cum Laude, Composite Science

     Certification, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas, 1989

Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Lamar University, Beaumont, 1988

Phi Kappa Theta Honor Society, Charter Member, Lamar University, Orange, Texas, 1988

Professional Affiliations

Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, 2010-present

National Association of Secondary School Principals, 2010-present