Dunham 1 Kelly Dunham July 13, 2013 Continued education from the St. Bonaventure Educational Leadership Program will assist me to become an effective leader in the field of education. Courses will help me to gain a wide range of skills within the leadership role as well as foundational knowledge and first hand experience that can be applied when working in an ‘Administrative capacity. Developing skills in order to effectively communicate and manage situations is a vital part of being an Administrator. Student education and well being is an essential responsibility of the leadership role. 1 hope to gain skills in managing conflicts, student, ipline, and student/staff/parent relationships. Effective problem solving skills will help to build working relationships and promote a positive educational environment. Management skills are also needed in working with teachers to assist them with conflicts and to help guide them through difficult situations. Educational leadership classes will give me the knowledge base needed to effectively evaluate teachers and staff and work through needed improvements as well as identify needs for professional development. Effective communication skills are another foundational component when working with a host of diverse individuals within the community. Community ties and relationships are necessary for a school to operate successfully. These ties are needed to ensure that any relationship in connection with the school are positive and effective. I also anticipate building my knowledge on what community projects and assessments are needed and how to effectively implement each.Dunham 2 Another very important piece of knowledge I hope to gain is that of finances. With the current financial hardships within educational institutions, understanding budgets, financial management and developing revenue are essential. The district I currently work in is in the process of sharing services with three other districts. Being involved in this process has shown me that understanding the systems behind finance are vital in making decisions, 1 look forward to a much broader understanding of the diversity of all finances and budgeting within a school district in order to be a more valuable contributor. ‘As a CSE Chairperson, I know first hand how important it is to have a deep understanding of State and Federal Regulations, school law and district policies. ‘Working with the School Principal in many situations has given me a broader view of policies and laws outside of the realm of special education. ‘There is such an abundance of regulatory guidelines that governs everything within the educational setting. hope to gain much more knowledge in this area as well as a better understanding of how to access guidance as needed. Within this process I lack much of the provisions which clarifies the rights and responsibilities of students, parents and staff. Through the Educational Leadership Program, I am eager to expand upon the seven years of special education knowledge that I have gained and expand my knowledge of regular education guidelines. decision making for all educational systems.Dunham 3 A background as a School Counselor and CSE Chairperson has given me the disadvantage of properly understanding curriculum. The advantage however, has been ‘working in all possible grade levels in various roles, including experience in both regular and special education classes. One class in particular, Standards-Based Curriculum Design, will be extremely beneficial as it will give me the background that I have not had the opportunity to have. I anticipate that it will assist in helping my understanding of aligning curriculum with the changing national and state standards. This course will be a ‘g00d learning experience and will hopefully give me a strong foundational starting point into the aspects of curriculum. Areas in which I need to improve on are mapping, curriculum based assessments and working with teachers in regards to educational responsibilities. Internships in both elementary and secondary settings will help me to ‘work with teachers, students, parents and administration in a different capacity than in previous years. I work in a common office complex with the K-12" Grade Building Principal, it is evident that daily situations and responsibilities can be very different each day. Internships should help me to gain understanding in how to balance the daily demands in an educational setting with the benefit of having a mentor in working through decisions and responsibilities. Continuing my education is an exciting opportunity to gain necessary skills and knowledge in working within a school district in an Administrative role. In looking at St. Bonaventure’s Educational Building Leadership Program, these courses should help me to build my skills, especially communication skills, as well as knowledge base of finances, law, regulations, policy and curriculum. Ultimately these classes and internships will give me the experience needed to sucessfully advance in my career.