When the public thinks of school administrators, they generally think of the principals or vice principals at the schools their children attend. Maybe, just maybe, they think of their local superintendent, who is often the public face of the district.

But the oft-overlooked school leaders are those who toil in the central office. These fine people provide the critical link between the county office of education, local districts and site leadership and support for school leaders in implementing the myriad programs that come their way.

That’s why ACSA takes great pride in recognizing the efforts of Rob Phillips, assistant superintendent of educational services for the Solano County Office of Education. Phillips has been named ACSA’s 2008 Central Office Administrator of the Year.

Phillips has been serving in his current position since 2001. Prior to that, he served as an assistant principal, summer school principal and head counselor, beginning his trek in the world of education as a social studies teacher back in 1975.

Phillips is lauded by colleagues for his work ethic. Phrases like “character, integrity and administrative skills,” “consummate professional, a wonderful team player and a tremendous emissary,” and “very high standard of quality and personal expectation” abound in letters of support for this award. One of his more recent accomplishments that also gets cited is his work in the area of Response to Intervention.

Phillips explained that the work in this area began when Solano COE and the Solano Special Education Local Plan Area applied jointly for a CalSTAT grant. As the two agencies began work in earnest on RtI, Phillips grew more passionate about the possibilities.

“I think RtI really gets to the heart of what we’re trying to do now in the educational system, and that’s providing the correct instructional programs to meet the needs of each student, regardless of labels that have been put on them,” Phillips said. “The idea is not to put the labels on them, but to figure out how to get all students to achieve to the highest standards. That’s what I find really exciting about RtI; that focus on student learning and not just on instruction. You’re looking at what’s the outcome for students and what are they learning.

“The SELPA director and I sometimes refer to it as the ‘duh factor,’ to have the special ed and regular ed sides of the house work together for student achievement. It always amazes me that we don’t do more of that in education. That’s why I’m so excited about RtI.”

As Phillips’ knowledge and expertise grew in the field, he was asked to present on RtI at the national conference of the Association of Educational Services Agencies, the national affiliate of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association.

One of the reasons RtI is having good results in Solano is that the collaboration has spread the gospel to all aspects of school leadership, from district leaders to site leaders. To the latter end, Phillips helped create a Principals’ Boot Camp that focused on the RtI efforts.

“We wanted principals to become familiar with the concepts and background of RtI,” Phillips said. “So basically a district leadership team and a site leadership team could be talking the same language about Response to Intervention.”

Phillips has also focused on giving back to the profession of school leadership as a whole by playing an active role in ACSA leadership. Currently serving as the president of ACSA Region 4, Phillips was not even aware of ACSA when he first entered the ranks of administration.

“(Past ACSA President) Lillie Campbell came up to me and said ‘You need to join this organization.’ I thought it was something like CTA, where you had to join!” Phillips said, with a chuckle.

“But over the years I’ve come to feel that ACSA is an organization that truly represents the students of California. It wasn’t an organization that had any special interests other than the kids’ special interest. “One of the things about ACSA as an organization is I think it looks at the entire educational system. Not just site principals or central office, it really looks at the entire system and I think it continues to do that.” On a personal level, Phillips said that ACSA has provided him with an invaluable network of support by allowing him to get to know colleagues in other districts and discovering how they do things there. And, he said, the more you are involved in ACSA, the higher the payoff.

“You have to get involved,” Phillips said. “It’s easy to be a member and do nothing else, but this really is a member-driven organization. I think it’s important as administrators that we support ACSA more than with just our dollars and dues, but invest with our time. I’ve always found the return has been much more than I invested.”

Now comes a different kind payoff in the form of a statewide honor for his efforts. Phillips said the award came as a surprise; he didn’t even know he was being nominated until region leadership started reviewing the nominations that had been submitted.

“The day we met to go over the nominations there it was, so I recused myself from the process,” Phillips said.

“I’m really very proud to receive this. Next fall I’m starting my 34th year in education. It sounds a little corny, but I feel as excited to be in education as I was in the fall of 1975. When you talk to your kids or family and somebody says, ‘What’s ACSA?’ I say this is an organization of my peers and an organization that I think does an awful lot for students across this state.

“I’m humbled. There are so many folks that I know throughout the state who I think do a wonderful job working with a very large, complex educational system. I know it’s kind of cliché, but I work with a lot of great people here at SCOE who work very, very hard to make this a quality, service-oriented organization, and I feel that they share this honor.”

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, visit ACSA Online or contact the Educational Services Department at (800) 608-ACSA or (650) 692-4300.