Policy, Governance, and Advocacy

Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the present and future success and wellbeing of students and district personnel by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to cultivate relationships, lead collaborative decision making and governance, and represent and advocate for district needs in broader policy conversations.

STANDARD 7 COMPONENTS

Component 7.1 - Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to represent the district, advocate for district needs, and cultivate a respectful and responsive relationship with the district’s board of education focused on achieving the district’s shared mission and vision.

Component 7.2 - Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to design, implement, cultivate, and evaluate effective and collaborative systems for district governance that engage multiple and diverse stakeholder groups, including school and district personnel, families, community stakeholders, and board members.

Component 7.3 - Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, engage in decision making around, implement, and appropriately communicate about district, state, and national policy, laws, rules, and regulations.

Component 7.4 - Program completers understand the implications of larger cultural, social, economic, legal, and political interests, changes, and expectations and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate and represent district needs and priorities within larger policy conversations and advocate for district needs and priorities at the local, state, and national level.

In the past few years I've been fortunate to make connections with other school leaders in a variety of areas - from technology, to leadership, to operational aspects of school. I've been part of active working groups and advisory panels at the Ohio Department of Education, invited as a board member of the Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation, asked to present on behalf of the Ohio School Boards Association, and frequently present to our own Board of Education.

These efforts, along with leading many presentations and workshops at local, state, and national levels, designing and hosting educational learning experiences for others, or assisting with technical expertise and active working relationships with ODE, and Educational Service centers (Summit & Cuyahoga), as well as with partners like the Ohio Schools Council allows me to bring my perspectives to a larger audience and impact policy, school practice, and daily operations.

I have also kept expanding my impact as a school leader, and taught courses at the collegiate level, both at Kent State University and Lake Erie College on school operations and technology.

Here are a few projects from the past, along with current artifacts from my practice as a school leader - many, if not all, inspired by the work and coursework at Kent State over the past few years.

Advocating for school, policy, and what we do in public education can seem like an endless churning wheel of getting nowhere... Oftentimes, the road is full of obstacles and roadblocks, those who don't want change or those who see public school as an entity to attack, devalue, and underfund.

The road to change is long and setting, and keeping, an appropriate pace is essential.