The job of school administration has grown vastly over the past few decades, with myriad programs and reporting requirements having come down from on high, or at least, from the state Capitol.
As school administration has grown in complexity and demand, some of the people who have become crucial in keeping the wheels of education moving smoothly are those newest to the profession — co-administrators. ACSA is proud to be able to recognize one of school administration’s new shining lights, Maria Villegas, as the 2008 Elementary Co-Administrator of the Year.
Villegas entered the world of administration in 2004, when she became a vice principal in Anaheim City SD, where she currently serves as vice principal of James Madison School. There, she has made valuable contributions to student achievement and parent outreach.
Villegas moved to the United States as a child, and credits her parents for starting her on the path that would draw her to the field of education.
“They laid a sound foundation defined by what is most important – family and a good education,” Villegas said. “At a young age my parents made it very clear to me and my five siblings that our goal was to get a good education. This message was repeatedly said throughout our childhood until it became a reality.”
After graduating college, Villegas initially worked for a non-profit organization, but even that pointed her toward education. She worked for the Orange County Human Relations Council on a program called Building Bridges, which sought to build a positive school community by teaching students to seek out similarities, as opposed to differences, as the key to building positive relationships among themselves.
“This job experience introduced me to the inner workings of a school community and highlighted my passion for teaching,” Villegas said. “In no time I was hooked. I needed to be part of such an amazing environment every day.”
She became a teacher in 1998, and worked as a bilingual and regular elementary education teacher and a resource teacher before stepping into the field of school administration.
After arriving at James Madison, Villegas launched an effort to collect, interpret and analyze student data with the grade-level teams. They used this work to launch powerful discussions that led to classroom changes. She also led the move to implement an intervention program called Reading Rotation.
“Up to this time, Madison teachers were working very hard individually; and the goal now was to have them work collectively to further student learning,” Villegas said. “In order to begin this process, I arranged for each grade level to visit one of these schools running a solid rotation/collaboration model. Following our visit, each grade level had the opportunity to ask questions, discuss concerns and, most importantly, to plan their next steps for implementation. By the end of the year, each grade level was participating within a rotation.”
The program offered students an opportunity for focused work several times a week on skills relating to academic standards. Teachers also met monthly to review students’ progress and adjust plans accordingly. Feedback from teaching staff indicates they believe Reading Rotation played the main role in James Madison’s 20-point growth in the API.
It’s all part of Villegas’ overall effort to work with teachers to align personal, school and district values.
“At Madison, I have had the privilege of facilitating staff development meetings that focus on discovering what are our core values as a learning institution,” Villegas said. “This process begins with taking stock of our own personal values – who am I and what do I value? How do my values impact my work and as a school what do we value and believe?
“To truly make an impact in children’s lives we, as educators, need to not only believe children can learn but must make it personal. We need to have a vested interest in seeing our students excel and be able to compete with other children within an educational setting. Our values and beliefs drive every facet of our work and define our expectations of ourselves and others. The alignment of our values as a school and district ensure that we keep a unified focus on what is most important – student learning.”
Villegas also has had good success in parental outreach. She saw a need and worked to organize several parent education programs, including the Adult ELD program Cuentos Familiares, in which parents learn how to help their children improve their reading; STAR Parent Workshops and Parent Learning Walks.
These efforts go to Villegas’ basic belief that all parents want to help their children’s academic endeavors, and that schools have the tools to help them do just that.
“Through STAR Parent Workshops and Parent Learning Walks, I was able to frontload parents with information they need,” she said. “These workshops help parents frame their understanding of what testing means and how it directly impacts their child’s future. Through the Parent Learning Walks I am able to provide parents with specific strategies to support key standards within their child’s grade level. The walks also provide parents an opportunity to walk through classrooms with a purpose, to seek out the instruction of these standards.
“I find facilitating these workshops very rewarding. I enjoy seeing parents learning from each other’s comments and advice and encouraging others. What better testimony is there than that of a parent advocating for the school and student learning? As much as I would like to think I have taught the parents something new, I find myself learning from the parents. We need to listen to our parents – they are an asset waiting to contribute. Many times they just need to be invited and welcomed.”
Truly, Maria Villegas is a shining example of a co-administrator who excels and makes her school a better place for teachers, staff and, most of all, students. She said she was elated when notified of this ACSA recognition for her work.
“When you love and believe in what you do every day, it makes your purpose very simple,” she said. “My job is all about people and relationships centered on a unified focus – student learning.
“I truly felt unworthy. If I have been able to contribute at any level to a school community it truly has not been a solo endeavor, but rather one supported by courageous principals, committed teachers, wonderful parents and inspiring students. I continue to feel very blessed and very grateful to ACSA for this recognition. Truly, my cup runneth over.”
Each of ACSA’s 19 Administrators of the Year will be featured in EdCal through Nov. 3. They will be formally honored during ACSA’s 2008 Leadership Summit, to be held Nov. 6-8 in San Diego. For more information or to register, contact the Educational Services Department at (800) 608-ACSA or (650) 692-4300.