MAXIMIZE YOUR MSA MEMBERSHIP

Susan M. King served in a large urban district as the magnet administrator and project manager for numerous federal Magnet School Assistance Program (MSAP) grants. As part of the Administration division, she developed the current operating Call Center for internal and external communication and worked in the Government and Public Affairs office managing media relations, district publications, and school board/community communications.

King is a national presenter and trainer on theme-based instruction, marketing, recruitment, and branding, intercultural responsiveness, sustainability, managing change, and leadership and worked with a DOE contractor as an MSAP federal compliance monitor. She has created, implemented, reviewed, and advised schools and districts on sustainability; federal grant evaluation and compliance monitoring; district policy; community and legislative relations; and national and local advocacy.

She co-authored a chapter in Curriculum Leadership Development: A Guide for Aspiring School Leader and is a recipient of the Hillsborough Association for School Administrators Distinguished Service Award. King was Treasurer of the Consortium of Magnets/Public Choice Schools, the forerunner of the Florida School Choice Consortium. She holds a B.S.E. in English, a Master’s Degree in Counselor Education, and certification in Educational Leadership and Reading.

Since joining the Board of Directors of MSA, Ms. King has served as chairman of several committees, written articles for MSA’s eChoice, and was the Executive Secretary for several terms. King served as President from 2018 until 2020 and currently serves as the Immediate Past President on the Executive Committee.

Theresa Porter is the Director of Magnet of Programs for the East Baton Rouge Parish School District, MSAP Project and Immediate Past President of Magnet Schools of the Mid-South, a regional organization supporting the vision of Magnet Schools of America.

Ms. Porter began teaching social studies and computer science in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System in 1988 and became the school’s Magnet/Technology Coordinator in 1998. She served as the Recruiter for Magnet Programs during the Final Settlement Agreement (FSA), which ended one of the longest desegregation cases in our nation’s history.

Ms. Porter is a graduate of Louisiana State University and Southern University with certification in administration and supervision, computer technology and graduate hours in policy-making and urban affairs.

Sara Wheeler, with over four decades of experience in the field of education, currently serves District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties in Columbia, South Carolina as the Director of Magnet Programs. Mrs. Wheeler has been a classroom teacher, magnet school educator and administrator, Smaller Learning Communities Site Coordinator and Project Director for four MSAP funded grants.

Mrs. Wheeler was the South Carolina Second Congressional District Coordinator for the Center for Civic Education, instrumental in providing quality law related education throughout the state. Named South Carolina Law Related Educator of the Year by the South Carolina State Bar Association, Sara was later named the National Middle School Law Related Educator of the Year by the American Lawyers Auxiliary. In 2010, the South Carolina State Bar Association recognized her as their Citizen of the Year.

Mrs. Wheeler received District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties Superintendent’s Award for Outstanding Vision in 2016, and Outstanding Leadership in 2017, which are among other accolades throughout her career.

A regular conference presenter regionally, and nationally, Mrs. Wheeler holds a Master’s degree in education with certification in grades K-8 with a concentration in middle level education, K-12 gifted education and secondary social studies. Mrs. Wheeler is a graduate of the University of Georgia where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and went on to do her graduate work at Armstrong State University, Savannah State University and the University of South Carolina. She received her certification in Gifted Education from West Georgia University in Carrollton, Georgia.

As a member of the Board of Directors for Magnet Schools of America, Sara has served as a Director at Large, Regional Director/Regional Chairperson, President-Elect, President and Immediate Past President.