CYNTHIA WILSON
Houston,Texas
Summary
Dedicated professional educational administrator with history of meeting company goals utilizing consistent and organized practices. Skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges to best enhance the organizational brand. Currently seeking an opportunity to teach at the collegiate level.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Human Capital Management Officer
Dallas Independent School District
2018.01 - 2022.01
- Served as Chief Officer in human resources for the second largest district in Texas.
- Facilitated multiple human resources functions for over 22,000 employees including 10,000 teachers.
- Oversaw the administration of all departments that directly interacted with employee services and supports including: Recruitment and Retention, On-boarding, Records, Benefits, Data and Design, Evaluation Management, Employee Relations, Strategic Compensation, Alternative Certification, Policy, Substitutes, Central Staff Hiring, and Legal Review.
- Ensured the district remained in compliance with all local, state, and federal personnel laws, policies and guidelines and the timely management of relevant ongoing changes and updates to compliance governing statutes.
- Ensured the district maintains a competitive salary when compared to the region in both educator specific jobs and central office support roles.
- Continued to establish a vision of excellence in customer service and engagement across 144 staff members.
- Maintained "open door" policy to encourage employee communications and resolution of issues.
- Coordinated and worked with management on performance evaluations, supervisory practices, dispute resolution and employee accountability.
- Drafted and implemented policies, procedures and employee handbook for over 22,000 employees.
- Tracked and reported metrics to identify trends and establish goals to meet business needs.
- Created and implemented safety protocols to successfully reduce workplace incidents throughout COVID-19 return to work.
- Oversaw business-wide changes to modernize procedures and organization.
- Improved performance management system and introduced leadership training program to develop future leaders.
Chief of Staff
Houston Independent School District
2017.01 - 2018.01
- Served as Chief of Staff to Richard Carranza, Superintendent of Schools, Houston ISD.
- Worked to ensure the superintendent collaborated with Board of Trustees to identify and establish a strategic plan of success with aligned student achievement goals.
- Worked to better align workflow systems within board services department.
- Worked with community members to increase the communication stream between the district and all communities within district boundaries.
- Worked with staff to develop strategic operating procedures and alignment between departments to provide clarity of purpose and efforts.
- Served as liaison between the superintendent and trustees to build the board agenda, monitor and develop the annual budget, collaborate with the leadership team to identify and implement initiatives that led to improved student academic outcomes.
- Worked to develop and implement recovery plans following Hurricane Harvey that prioritized returning 90% of campuses to school within 10 days.
- Attended meetings to make informed business decisions, provide administrative support and evaluate progress toward goals and objectives.
- Supervised staff and participated in hiring, training and performance evaluations to establish and enforce policies and procedures for business functions.
- Performed financial and managerial analyses to evaluate data and make recommendations, prepare financial reports and projections and conduct presentations.
- Developed analytical frameworks, data models and relevant insights to support prioritization, scoping and effective decision-making throughout organization.
- Encouraged coordination and cooperation among departments and continuous review of interdepartmental processes to support quality control and improvement.
- Improved office operations by automating client correspondence, record tracking and data communications.
- Analyzed and solved multi-faceted problems that effected executive leaders and board initiatives.
- Developed highly-efficient administrative team through ongoing coaching and professional development opportunities.
- Initiated timely project management within budget constraints for multi-faceted problems concerning executive leaders.
Chief of Staff
Dallas Independent School District
2015.01 - 2017.01
- 155,000 students, Serve as the Chief of Staff to Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, Superintendent of Schools, Dallas ISD.
- Worked to ensure the superintendent worked with the Board of Trustees to establish the improvement goals that set the district on a path to becoming one of the best urban school districts in the country.
- Ensured the board services department work was aligned with the goals and vision established for the district.
- Worked with the superintendent to plan engagement events in every community to ensure the communication of the vision and goals was shared equally in every community.
- Worked with the superintendent to pass a bond referendum that would lead to the improvement and quality of facilities in every community over time.
- Worked to ensure the leadership team was collaborative, connected and contributed the success of all departments collectively.
- Worked to build an equity plan for schools, departments, and the greater community.
- Worked to develop the ODOS (One District One System) structure to streamline departmental work and reduce redundancy across all departments.
- Attended meetings to make informed business decisions, provide administrative support and evaluate progress toward goals and objectives.
- Supervised staff and participated in hiring, training and performance evaluations to establish and enforce policies and procedures for business functions.
- Performed financial and managerial analyses to evaluate data and make recommendations, prepare financial reports and projections and conduct presentations.
- Developed analytical frameworks, data models and relevant insights to support prioritization, scoping and effective decision-making throughout organization.
- Managed business operations while overseeing contractors and consultants to verify on-time completion of key deliverables.
- Encouraged coordination and cooperation among departments and continuous review of interdepartmental processes to support quality control and improvement.
- Improved customer satisfaction scores through application of superior conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
- Improved office operations by automating client correspondence, record tracking and data communications.
- Analyzed and solved multi-faceted problems that effected executive leaders and business initiatives.
- Arranged corporate and office conferences for company employees and guests.
- Managed supervisor itinerary and appointments and streamlined scheduling procedures.
- Developed highly-efficient administrative team through ongoing coaching and professional development opportunities.
- Initiated timely project management within budget constraints for multi-faceted problems concerning executive leaders.
Superintendent of Schools
Orangeburg Consolidated School District
Orangeburg , SC
2010.01 - 2015.01
- 7,000 students, Serve as the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer for 7,000 students in 15 schools.
- Ensured that Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5 continued to increase academic achievement in all areas, improved the graduation rate at an annual percentage rate greater than the state and consistently decreased the dropout rate below the state average.
- Ensured the district moved forward to meet or exceed the five established Board of Trustees goals.
- Ensured that the district delivered an annual zero based, priority-aligned budget that met all financial targets and priorities.
- Continued to work with the board of trustees to establish a coherent governance policy framework collectively prioritized by all board members.
- Led efforts to attract, hire and retain instructionally focused, goal oriented principals, teachers and classified staff members at every position across the organization.
- Annually increased academic achievement in tested areas based on a year to year comparison.
- Presented balanced budget to the board for approval with no tax increase, furloughs, layoffs; passed staff increases each consecutive year; maintained a 15% fund balance.
- Increased the graduation rate from 70.4 (2011) to 73.5 (2012).
- Worked with a state committee to develop and implement the tenets of the South Carolina Graduate Profile.
- Decreased the dropout rate from 7.4 (20009) to 2.2 (2012).
- Developed and implemented an 88 page Instructional Teaching and Learning Framework Guide that informs instructional practices across the entire district.
- Developed and implemented Common Core Curriculum Guides for every grade level Established the first district/charter partnership with SC Charter Schools to establish The High School for Health Professions.
- Developed and implemented a 3 year Technology Plan that led to classroom standards and 1-1 computing for all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders; and all Special Education students.
- Established numerous opportunities to elevate the district’s presence in the greater community; including the State of the Schools Luncheon, Reach out to Dropout’s Walk, monthly E-Blast Community Newsletter, Back to School Bash, Bootstraps Foundation (Faith Based mentoring), Spaghetti With the Superintendent.
- Built productive relationships with school leaders and staff at all levels.
- Created professional development plan to cultivate and advance skillsets of all employees.
- Compiled and presented reports and information to school board annually under accountability requirements.
- Established and implemented district-wide policies followed by staff and students.
- Developed programs to advance student success in district.
- Oversaw operations at all district schools with proactive oversight and evaluation.
Regional Superintendent
Houston Independent School District
2005.01 - 2010.01
- Led and managed 64 elementary, middle and high schools in the seventh largest school district in the country for five years.
- Directed and supervised the implementation of all education programs, support services, new construction, renovations, and business and compliance functions for each school in the region.
- Developed and monitored the overall strategic plan for schools aligned with district priorities.
- Implemented and communicated the district’s initiatives and strategic plan for increasing student achievement and promoting the district as whole.
- Under my leadership 80% of the 64 elementary, middle and high schools in the region achieved a Recognized or Exemplary rating from the state; including 9 secondary schools.
- Through an organized effort to closely monitor attendance and achievement for at-risk students, the drop-out rate decreased to exceed state and federal standards.
- Through establishing high expectations and rigorous instruction the North Region led all other regions in student achievement and received the highest growth rating and performance pay for two of three years.
- This accomplishment was achieved while leading a demographic group that was 70% Latino; 32% Bilingual and LEP; 29% African American; and 88% low income.
- Implemented mandatory GT and ELL training for all teachers across 64 schools.
- Team member of initial Pay for Performance district committee.
- Earned the Top Dog award for the highest number of Exemplary and Recognized schools in the district.
- Opened Early College High School in collaboration with local Community college.
- Implemented the System of Care “Full-Service Community School” system; partnered with City of Houston and Harris County.
- Implemented PSAT testing for all 8th graders across the region.
- Implemented the One Million Dollar Scholarship initiative for every high school and the Top Ten Percent recognition banquet for students and parents.
- Implemented turn around model for low performing schools; led to depletion of low performing schools in the North Region.
- Raised in excess of $10 million in grants and donations for the region in 5 years (Chevron/Texaco, Houston Rockets, Hogg Foundation, Kroger).
District Superintendent
Houston Independent School District
2004.01 - 2005.01
- Led and manage 29 schools and 13,000 students to achieve academic excellence in compliance with the strategic plan established by the greater district
- Developed and overall strategic plan for schools aligned with the Beliefs and Visions of the Houston Independent School District; which included. overarching goals, vision, and mission and core values
- Worked with the district committee to restructure 13 area districts into the newly identified 5 regional districts during the overall reorganization of the school system.
- Implemented benchmark testing and assessment structure to more closely align the taught curriculum with the tested curriculum.
- Established and worked with a committee of teachers and leaders to establish classroom management systems to improve consistency of behaviors across all elementary, middle and high schools.
- Established consistent leadership structures in schools that included a dropout coordinator at each secondary school to improve annual dropout rates.
- Replaced low performing leaders in 30% of schools in one academic school year.
- Established a monitoring and evaluating system for low performing teachers through the use of classroom data.
- Established the use of data teams across the 29 schools that established a systemic process for evaluating and reviewing academic areas of concern.
- Established systemic professional development throughout the district to ensure common language, common knowledge, common practice across 29 schools.
Elementary Principal
Houston Independent School District, Pleasantville Elementary School and Judson W. Robinson Jr. Elementary School
2003.11 - 2004.06
Assistant Principal, Teacher
Houston Independent School District
1996.11 - 2002.05
Retail Manager and Buyer
Joske’s of Texas
1994.08 - 1996.11
Education
Doctor of Education -
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg South Carolina12.2014
Master of Education - Administration Minored, English
University of Houston
Houston, TX12.1991
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology Minored, English
University of Texas At Austin
Austin, TX12.1978
Skills
- District and School Improvement Design
- Leadership Development
- Systems Review, Analysis and Design
- Human Capital Management Specialists
- School Board Governance
- Strategic Planning
- Mission and Vision Development
- Performance Optimization
Affiliations
American Association of School Administrators
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
National Association of Black School Educators
Publications
C. Wilson & C.J. Kowalski, Comparative Study of African-American Superintendents and Board Members on Leadership Attributes that Contribute to Superintendents Longevity, Psychology and Education An Interdisciplinary Journal, vol. 55, no. 3 & 4, Fall/Winter 2018.
C. Wilson & C.J. Kowalski, A Comparison Between African-American Superintendents and School Board Members on Leadership Attributes that Contribute to Superintendent Longevity, International Journal of Leadership and Change, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 21-30, Spring 2017.
Timeline
Chief Human Capital Management Officer
Dallas Independent School District
2018.01 - 2022.01
Chief of Staff
Houston Independent School District
2017.01 - 2018.01
Chief of Staff
Dallas Independent School District
2015.01 - 2017.01
Superintendent of Schools
Orangeburg Consolidated School District
2010.01 - 2015.01
Regional Superintendent
Houston Independent School District
2005.01 - 2010.01
District Superintendent
Houston Independent School District
2004.01 - 2005.01
Elementary Principal
Houston Independent School District, Pleasantville Elementary School and Judson W. Robinson Jr. Elementary School
2003.11 - 2004.06
Assistant Principal, Teacher
Houston Independent School District
1996.11 - 2002.05
Retail Manager and Buyer
Joske’s of Texas
1994.08 - 1996.11
Doctor of Education -
South Carolina State University
Master of Education - Administration Minored, English
University of Houston
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology Minored, English
University of Texas At Austin
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