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My Metaphor: Getting Stronger--One Step at a Time.

The greater a man is in power above others, the more he ought to excel them in virtue, None ought to govern who is not better than the governed. ..Publius Syrus

03/08/12

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LEADERS

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Assistant Principal: Duties and Responsibilities

Goals and Objectives

As an Assistant Principal I have important responsibilities which I categorize into two main areas, management duties and supervision of instruction. As an administrator I am charged with the overall responsibilities of processing the budgetary requests of all teachers in science, as well as provide the necessary support for my teachers who set up trips, projects, and/or assemblies. With respect to student decorum, I supervise the discipline of all 9th grade students; I will continue to monitor their behavior as they move ahead as underclassmen until they graduate. Then I will return to 9th grade and continue to monitor their behavior for four more years. In the area of instruction I conduct informal and formal observations of teachers in several departments. I hold department meetings, provide professional development in certain areas, and monitor the articulation with the Reed middle school to emphasize a curriculum that is aligned among the two schools. Moreover, I supervise the formative and summative assessment process in the area of science and foreign language.

Each day I strive to complete many duties as an Assistant Principal at Central Islip High School. My day begins with the pledge of allegiance and continues with a discussion of students who missed their previous day detention. After consequences have been issued, I continue in dealing with referrals from the previous day. Afterward, I take some time to "digest" a magazine article about a current issue, and copy it for my department for future reference usually until the next department meeting. Then, depending on the day of the week, I may engage in a formal or informal observation. In the course of a suspension report toward mid-day is the appropriate time to complete the process.

During the late periods of the school day I am especially cognizant of student decorum, I am fully alert to react to some of the inappropriate behavior in the hallways, and I am especially sensitive to any loud outbursts that may arise as the school day draws to an end. After the school bell to end the conventional school day, invariably there is a meeting; either a meeting with a subject department, or with parents in a site based management meeting, or a parent conference with a guidance counselor, or a meeting with the leaders of the building will take place.

As assistant principal at the Central Islip High School, I have various responsibilities in providing support to all stakeholders in the community. I am committed to supporting my principal, Dr. Franklin N. Caesar, in the daily operation of the school building, the instructional support of the facility, as well as assisting our parents and community members with their concerns over the lives of the students in the high school building.

The Doctorate Program is a Motivating Force Which Has Improved My "Strength" and Given Me the "Resolve" to Utilize Better Skills in Educational Administration

The doctorate program at St. John's University at the Oakdale campus has been a motivating force in my career as I carry out my professional duties as an Assistant Principal at the Central Islip Senior High School. I have learned many new skills in technology, and in conveying information using the internet and other mediums of the media. I have learned a great deal of information about the historical development of the educational climate and culture, as well as contemporary educational philosophy; I have been able to cultivate an ability to make presentations to various audiences, and I have been able to share my new knowledge in interpreting quantitative and qualitative analysis of data. In this website, I have utilized a metaphor of weightlifting as a means for explaining how the courses I have undertaken has made me stronger; not physically, but I now have the resolve to utilize new skills, new talents, new information, and new understandings in order to contribute as an administrator for the benefit of our students today.

The professors of the doctorate program at the Oakdale campus have provided me with new core knowledge base in the area of policy, educational organizations, technological expertise, interpreting quantitative and qualitative data as well as designing tools in order to gather data via quantitative and qualitative analysis. The instruction, the cohort model providing the organization, and the instructional strategies providing a means for teaching our students, have given me a wide base with which to share my new knowledge and skills. There are many facets of my learning that have provided me with a foundation for helping my students as I carry out my present-day duties as an Assistant Principal. Ultimately, as I perform my duties on a daily basis, I have many opportunities to to share with our kids how I was able to overcome the many obstacles as a child and to provide the means necessary to become a productive citizen in our country. The doctorate program at St. John's has enabled me to utilize what I have learned in helping the next generation of students who may come across our life's path, as well as share with professionals the skills necessary to provide our students a sound base for them to contribute to our society as they mature as adults.

Specifically, the doctorate program has provided me with several professional capabilities. First, as a result of the courses about website development, I have been able to develop my own website which is on display at www.omerocatan.com. Beforehand, I was not very strong technologically. However, under the tutelage of Dr. Hughes, I was able to utilize the various methods of uploading, hyperlinking, downloading, as well as utilizing various PowerPoint programs, Snapgraphics, as well as my favorite astound programs in presenting information about educational philosophy. In fact, there are many pages on the website of the The Central Islip Senior High School website where I created slide shows, displayed action pictures of special events, and uploaded letters about the after-school Regents review courses as well as the Bilingual After-school Programs which are written in English and Spanish. There are other presentations on display on the Central Islip Website I created as a direct result of the instruction handed down from Dr. Hughes in his courses.

While website development is not a novelty, it is not an ordinary capability; however, I am now able to utilize my new skill in creating a website in order to share my personality, my professional background, the curriculum, and the information I learned in the doctorate program; this website is a valuable tool for me to communicate with the parents and the community. During this courses in website design, I was able to build this website which includes a home folio, a personal folio, a professional folio, a learner folio, an expert folio, a scholar folio as well as a site map. In each of the folios, I have been able to convey some aspect of my educational, professional, and/or professional experience from the doctorate program at St. Johns' University. Imbued in these pages is my philosophy about leadership as an administrator at the Central Islip Senior High School, as well as my dissertation topic, which is to ascertain whether middle schools are operating effectively to support young adolescents in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades as promulgated over the last three decades. Overall, the metaphor of weightlifting is omnipresent as I explain areas of educational philosophy. As you peruse my website you will notice aphorisms, and visual representations about weightlifting which has not only a constant thread connecting my personal abilities in weightlifting exercises, but I have also become stronger in other areas of my life as well. My presentations were not very aesthetic at first. However, I became stronger in my resolve as I developed a better understanding of how to make presentations and utilize technology in doing so. As Assistant Principal, I hold assemblies, attendance conferences, field trips, and department meetings in the area of science and English as a Second Language. During these events, I am confident in disseminating information pertinent to the issues at hand and the audiences are clear about my suggestions and directives in future actions.

As stated earlier there is a lot of information that I have been able to cultivate, organize, and ultimately present to others about important issues relating to the ultimate goal of improving upon and communicating high academic performance of students who must attend schools today, which are very different historically. Over the past few decades, No Child Left Behind has been the basis for developing reform models in various levels of education. Much different from several decades ago, we now have an emphasis on standardization of objectives and goals which state acceptable levels of student academic performance on certain subjects, and attach levels of financial support to those schools which adhere to the standardized exam process from NCLB era. There is a tremendous amount of political pressure to bear on individual school districts where students demonstrate what they know and can do; the assessment of acceptable academic performance. The doctorate program at St. Johns has provided me, as part of the 8th cohort, with skills in interpreting quantitative and qualitative data as well as in utilizing information and data in quantitative and qualitative measures in order to address the issue of high student academic performance according to the standardized approach. Dr. Smith and Dr. Dunlop-Taylor have provided keen insight in quantitative and qualitative analysis of data, which they believe can be utilized to improve student academic performance. I am now strong enough to carry the information to meetings via PowerPoint presentations, Snapgraphics, and slide shows that can give others insight on disaggregating information about student scores on certain final exams. While I do not agree to the means for arriving at the stated performance based upon standardization, I can nonetheless utilize the information from scores in creating curriculum to encourage leaders in the school district to accept and utilize in order for our students to achieve acceptable scores on exams relating to the technical approach emanating from the standardization created from No child Left Behind. The core knowledge acquired from the coursework in the doctorate program has encouraged me to analyze the information from the exams, I can nonetheless interpret the information in a quantitative analysis and create programs utilizing a qualitative or a quantitative approach, and share ways in which to create a constructive curriculum and instructional strategies, which can be utilized for a more effective student academic performance, and provide an acceptable academic performance level, while creating better educational culture and climate in our buildings. Indeed, this is an illustration; the above mentioned situation is yet an example of how I have been able to utilize a conceptual framework for creating a new plan, and implement the plan to provide a means for improving the performance of students in our schools. Hence, I utilized the information present to me by our professors about Popkewitz, Tabachnick, Wehlage who authored the text, The Myth of Educational Reform. This text is only one resource in providing me with a plethora of texts, articles, and websites and creating a "bank" of knowledge culled from the information, I now am stronger using the new knowledge and explaining how I can improve the educational clutter and climate in my professional duties as an Assistant principal.

The doctorate program has also encouraged me to cultivate my own leadership style as I carry out my professional duties as an Assistant Principal, and I will continue to seek answers in my approach to lead others. In fact, there were several courses in the doctorate program which enabled me to identify my personality traits, utilize a conceptual framework thought the course of several texts, and professional journal articles, and give me insight in developing a unique approach in encouraging others in my school district. I now am more confident in encouraging others to utilize their strengths for the purposes of high student academic achievement. Leadership is paramount to an effective educational culture and climate. From several sources I have learned how to lead others in my school district by scraping the "top down" approach; in other words, telling others to accomplish their job is no longer an effective means for inspiring them to perform at a high level. As far as my teachers are concern, I have taken the professional approach of collegial leadership style. This leadership style has been inculcated in me for a variety of reasons. First, there are teachers who do not respond well to being told what to do. Second, i believe that there are many individuals who have a better approach in providing a practice solution to present day problems, without my intervention in manipulating the actions of others simply because I am their "boss" does not bode well in creating an academic environment that values high student performance. Thought the auspices of Dr. Dunlop, i have been able to create a leadership approach unique to my personality with a high level of energy, to accept the contributions of others in creating a game plan for high student academic achievement. An example, is my new approach in giving science teachers the opportunity to make a presentation to a group of visitors interested in how we utilize formative assessments for the purposes of doing well on the Regents exams. By encouraging my teachers to create PowerPoint presentations about the use of formative exams in improving student performance in science, I am confident that the individuals making the presentations will share information they learned from individual research efforts to others not privy to the information. In this way, all individuals will have instructional strategies using information from the various research efforts of all teachers in the science department. Earlier in enjoying a positive rapport with my teachers with relational trust being valued, I am able to provide feedback to communicate to them useful information for reflection. Later, all the members of the science department will be able to engage in professional dialogue about the use of formative exams in improving student academic achievement.

Mentoring is a valuable source of insipriation designed to create strength in one's aboility to demonstrate what they knkmowo and can do. As a teacher in the middle school and high school level, I had a mentor who encouraged me to further my education as well as continue to hone my skills as a teacher. I was inspired to read a great deal in order to remain current in pedagogy and educational philosophy. I remember Coach Cipp in Bellport, Mr. Harvey Palmore in Bellport. These individuals gave me an impetus to carry on with my education until I earned a M.A. from Stony Brook, New York. While at Hempstead, I learned a great deal from Dr. Barbara Thompson (Williams), Mr. Reginald Stroghn and finally Ms. Diane Brown. In fact, Ms. Brown was the first to give me an opportunity at the ABG Shultz Middle School as a Social Studies Department chairman. It was a terrific experience and I was encouraged to expand my responsibilities as I obtained a position first as a Dean of students and then as an Assistant Principal at the Reed Middle School. While at Central Islip, I was blessed to receive tutelage about leadership roles and responsibilities from my new principal, Mr. John Smith, and later, Mr. Bracco as I enjoyed his tutelage at the middle school. Today, I am proud to serve the Central Islip School District at the High School as an Assistant Principal. These days, I enjoy the tutelage of Dr. Franklin N. Caesar, who is tirelessly encouraging me to continue when I doubted myself and felt particularly weak. I firmly beleive that mentors can provide a confidence in others especially as trust is cultivated and reciprocated in education about the issue of providng scholarly work and engaging in dialogue about the content.

My first contact with St. John's University at the Oakdale campus began with a presentation by Dr. Jonathan T. Hughes, the director of the doctorate program. I was mesmerized by Dr. Hughes and his presentation; I believed that he was talking to me personally, and his concepts of leadership gave me the impetus to matriculate into the doctorate program at the Oakdale campus as a result. Earlier I had taken administration courses at St. John's University at the Queens Campus, where I earned a professional diploma. I enjoyed my experience and learned a great deal, especially from Dr. Giessert, who shared his leadership philosophy as he carried out his duties as superintendent in various locations. Below you may see the Oakdale Education Building where I attended many classes and spent a few summers learning invaluable leadership skills, I now feel confident in my ability to utilize many others skills in technology, organization, governance, and accountability.

The Education Building at the Oakdale Campus of St; Johns.

The Doctorate Program was very labor intensive and I have never had so much fun. I enjoyed going to my classes as I became stronger as my confidence grew in the area of being a leader as an educator. The first few courses were designed to introduce me to the rigors of academic research, as well as reviewing technological innovations. Indeed, district leadership, systems approaches, and traditional instructional strategies were reviewed as a foundation for changing the manner in which I look at leadership approaches in my position as Assistant Principal. Also, there were other courses which were instrumental in encouraging my cohort and I to share our academic strengths in order to delve into an organized approach in research. Especially fulfilling was a course in which data is scrutinized and a conceptual framework is developed in creating a philosophy of education utilizing a text, Policy Paradox , written by Deborah Stone. My professor, Dr. Frank, Smith, utilized this text to demonstrate how data may be manipulated, even objective facts in bringing a convincing attitude about their inferences at data; I was able to explore data using different lenses, and learning that even objective data, can be utilized in an attempt to present a cogent point of reference in an endeavor to explain and convince someone about their point of view. Debra Stone was a great resource as I utilized her conceptual framework of comparing and contrasting the utopian society and/or the market society with respect to the political world. In addition, I utilized Stone's viewpoint about a politically charged world and political perspectives compared to cultural, theatrical, as well as other perspectives as a way of viewing research and essential points of view. In other classes I learned a great deal in a general sense referring to how to develop a connectional framework, which is a comprehensive thought process in justifying my thesis statement in writing a dissertation. Bolman and Deal, in Reframing and Reform as well as Carlson's Political perspectives, were influential in my thought processes as I began to utilize scientific processes in culling out unnecessary and non-useful information in arriving at appropriate responses in my quest for explaining my conceptual frameworks. Dr. Bernice in his course of scrutinizing data by utilizing SPSS as well as Dr. Hughes' approach at creating charts and graphs while determining a school milieu, gave me the ability to comprehend the difference between quantitative and qualitative research.

As a result of my experience as an Assistant Principal and the invaluable lessons I have learned at St. John's University, I am fully aware of the myriad of responsibilities of not only my position, but I have been able to glean from my courses at the Oakdale campus an array of duties of all leadership positions at the building level as well as at the district level. What lessons have I learned? How will I benefit from my experience from St. John's University? What experiences are unique to the Oakdale Campus? How can I translate what I have learned to help our youth presently, and in the future? These are essential questions which I believe I can answer confidently, now that I have completed the first part of the program responsibilities.

As you peruse the plethora of courses I completed on the learner page, you will notice that there are divided into several areas of responsibilities or themes in education. In particular, each course was designed specifically to hone my skills in leadership, organization, technology, knowledge in quantitative and qualitative research, as well as policy and politics. My metaphor signifies that at the inception of my journey at the Oakdale campus whereas I was aware of the many lessons I needed to learn before I would become truly ready to handle the pressures and responsibilities a leadership position at the building or district would entail, I did not fully comprehend just how "weak" I was until I delved into the research projects and completed new aspects of quantitative and qualitative research. I was also able to create PowerPoint presentations utilizing the themes of certain facts and creating an explanation derived from factual information; and I was able to utilize technology for my presentations. Upon the completion of each course, I become "stronger and stronger" in my resolve to keep abreast of my new knowledge and skills, and I become aware of how to deal with new themes.

All in All, over the course of the last few years I have learned a tremendous amount about education, how scholars have sought ways to improve our education, how reform models have affected the curriculum, and how much the operation of our schools have changed over the years. From the inception of the doctorate program, I was weak; however, after each course, as one would increase the weights on the bar when doing weightlifting exercise, I grew stronger with time and increased repetitions; my resolve to share my new skills in technology, in interpreting quantities and qualitative data, in using data to present a cogent explaination about curriculum development, and in sharing my knowledge with others, I grew strong enough to prepare my teachers with a collegial leadership style, to teach our students