Heather E. Kama-Starr
Lakewood,OH
Summary
Organizational leader and educational administrator offering 8+ years of administrative experience. Exercises honed competencies in development, implementation and execution of performance-enhancing programs. Outstanding skills in parent communication, conflict resolution and staff management. Known for consistently supporting faculty and staff as advocate leader.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Principal
Riverside PreK-8 School
06.2019 - Current
- Partnered with principal to administer school program in alignment with vision and goals, providing positive, high-expectation academic environment
- Performed classroom evaluations to assess teacher strategies and effectiveness both in an non-evaluative setting and against the TDES rubric
- Acted as a change agent and promoted diversity within the school community through school initiatives, professional development, and recruitment efforts
- Engaged educators and students with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) tools to create a positive learning environment and implement a Restorative Practice model for growth and development
- Successfully co-created a building-wide schedule that maximizes student learning and educator effectiveness
- Supported a positive school culture and learning environment by addressing student behavior concerns in a prompt, consistent, and fair fashion
- Participated in all aspects of scholar’s annual IEP review processes including reviewing ETR and IEP documents and meeting with students, parents/guardians, and educators
- Served on the Riverside Parent Teacher Council to build family relationships, plan programs (in conjunction with Office of Family and Community Engagement), and enhance Riverside’s community relations
- Utilized data to drive teacher instruction and create strategies to improve student performance
- Led the School Safety Team to develop and implement school protocols, policies and procedures to increase scholars and educator safety
- Successfully completed the year-long, district-wide Aspiring Leaders program
Assistant Principal/Manufacturing and Construction Academy Leader
Max S. Hayes High School
08.2017 - 06.2019
- Served as head administrator for Max Hayes’ Ohio Improvement Plan, including district/state level communication
- Facilitated Building Leadership Team and Teacher Based Team meetings, training sessions, and data collection
- Followed OTES/TDES protocol for a combination of fifteen core content educators and intervention specialists
- Managed student behavior issues and coordinated student discipline plans
- Participated in all aspects of scholar’s annual IEP review processes including reviewing ETR and IEP documents and meeting with students, parents/guardians, and educators
- Supervised the Max Hayes Student Council and Max Hayes Senior Class advisor and scholars
- Planned and implemented all Max Hayes graduation festivities and commencement ceremony
- Spearheaded the grant application process for a $35,000 NMSI AP grant and helped implement the first year of the program by serving as the NMSI/AP Site Administrator, working to build a partnership with the AP teachers and Site Coordinator, and advocating for additional course offerings
- Assisted in the process of creating the Max Hayes master schedule.
Curriculum and Instruction Specialist/Building Testing Coordinator
Max S. Hayes High School
08.2016 - 07.2017
- Served as head administrator for Max Hayes’ Ohio Improvement Plan
- Facilitated Building Leadership Team and Teacher Based Team meetings, training sessions, and data collection
- Primary planning agent and facilitator for building-wide professional development sessions
- Served as lead testing coordinator for all district and state level assessments
- Created, implemented, and supervised schedule for seventeen para-professionals and five sign language interpreters
- Followed OTES/TDES protocol for three intervention specialists and seventeen para-professionals
- Designed and implemented opportunities for inter-disciplinary units
- Enhanced opportunities for both scholars and educators by providing guidance in all curricular areas
- Regularly reviewed curriculum based materials and work with building principal to order said materials
- Provided educators with ideas, feedback, and instructional tools to improve student performance.
Administrative Internship/Teacher Leader
Liberty Elementary School
07.2008 - 07.2016
- Member of the NRCS District Leadership Team and the Liberty Elementary Building Leadership Team
- Chaired the Liberty Scheduling Team, Liberty Building Safety Committee, Liberty Social Committee, and the North Ridgeville City Schools Health Insurance Employee Trust Executive Board
- Served as Resident Educator Mentor Teacher, Practicum Student Mentor, and Field Placement Student Mentor
- Developed an assessment tool to gauge staff morale and analyzed results to plan team-building activities
- Developed partnerships with several local and national non-profits, including but not limited to the Providence House, Make-A-Wish, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, and Smiles for Sophie Forever
- Redeveloped and co-advised the Liberty Student Council, a group consisting of forty classroom representatives that participate in monthly educational activities and philanthropic based projects
- Researched Dyslexia and created a talking points document and professional development presentation
- Served as an Executive Board and Negotiations Team Member of the North Ridgeville Education Association
- Served on the NRCS Facilities Planning Committee and on numerous teacher search committees
- Campaigned for the district’s levy by travelling door-to-door to speak with residents and distribute flyers
- Teacher leader in team-based, co-teaching classrooms, and technology based learning and assessment
- Developed and implemented student-led parent/teacher/student conferences.
Substitute Teacher
Maple Heights City School District
12.2007 - 06.2008
- Completed a variety of day-to-day and long term substitute positions - responsibilities included, but were not limited to: creating lesson plans, assessing student work, utilizing Progress Book, scheduling and facilitating parent/teacher conferences, administering DIBELS and MAZE assessments, administrating practice Reading and Mathematics Ohio Achievement Tests, facilitating curriculum night, and planning field trips.
Title I Teacher (Grades K-5) and Classroom Teacher - 1st Grade (One Year, Leave Replacement Position)
Grant Elementary School
10.2005 - 06.2007
- Co-Advisor for the Grant Elementary School Student Council and the Grant Talent Show
- Chairperson for the Grant Right to Read Week Committee and the Grant Staff Social Committee
- Supported the Lakewood bond issue by assisting with phone calls and distributing literature
- Administered progress monitoring tools such as Rigby, Basic Reading Inventory, and DIBELS
- Coordinated before and after school study groups for students in 3rd-5th grades
- Administered the Ohio Achievement Test and Terra Nova Test to K-5th grade students.
Substitute Teacher
Lakewood City School District
08.2005
- Completed a variety of day-to-day and long term substitute positions - responsibilities included, but were not limited to: creating lesson plans, assessing student work, utilizing Progress Book, scheduling and facilitating parent/teacher conferences, administering DIBELS and MAZE assessments, administrating practice Reading and Mathematics Ohio Achievement Tests, facilitating curriculum night, and planning field trips.
Substitute Teacher
South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District
09.2003 - 05.2005
- Completed a variety of day-to-day and long term substitute positions - responsibilities included, but were not limited to: creating lesson plans, assessing student work, utilizing Progress Book, scheduling and facilitating parent/teacher conferences, administering DIBELS and MAZE assessments, administrating practice Reading and Mathematics Ohio Achievement Tests, facilitating curriculum night, and planning field trips.
Substitute Teacher
Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District
09.2003 - 06.2004
- Completed a variety of day-to-day and long term substitute positions - responsibilities included, but were not limited to: creating lesson plans, assessing student work, utilizing Progress Book, scheduling and facilitating parent/teacher conferences, administering DIBELS and MAZE assessments, administrating practice Reading and Mathematics Ohio Achievement Tests, facilitating curriculum night, and planning field trips.
Coordinator of Residence Education and Program Facilities
Case Western Reserve University
08.2000 - 08.2003
Lyden House Coordinator
Youngstown State University
07.1999 - 08.2000
Residential College Director
Murray State University
07.1997 - 08.1997
Education
Inspired Leaders Administration Licensure Program -
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, Ohio12.2015
Master of Education in Early Childhood Education -
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, Ohio12.2006
Master of Science in Human Services -
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky05.1999
Bachelor of Science in English and American Literature and Language -
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan08.1997
Skills
Employee Performance Evaluation (TDES/OPES)
School Safety Procedures, Facilities, and Operations
Data-Driven Instruction
Cultural Competency
Parent and Community Engagement and Communication
Discipline Management and Restorative Practices
Adaptable
Strong Multi-Tasking Ability
Proficient in Office 365, Clever, Schoology, PowerSchool, Clever Touch, Class Dojo, and Smore
Professional Development Planning and Presenting
Accomplishments and Awards
- Earned Four Star Ohio State Report Card Rating for Gap Closing and Three Star for Progress at Riverside in 2023
- Received the 2020 CMSD Communicate with H.E.A.R.T. Customer Service Award
- Awarded the 2019 "Multilingual School of the Year" for Riverside
- Received Crain’s 2019 Notable Women in Education Award
- Nominated for the Ohio Department of Education Teacher of the Year Award
- Received the Ohio Lottery Teacher of the Month Award
- Honored with the Cleveland State University Excellence in Student Teaching Award
Community Involvement Interests
- Served as troop leader for fourteen Lakewood Girl Scouts (Kindergarten through 4th grade)
- Served as a Lakewood Rec. Dept. coach for little league baseball, flag football, soccer, and co-ed basketball
- Served as executive board member of the Campus International School Parent Caring Organization
- Current member of the Harding Middle School Parent/Teacher/Student Association
- Current member of the Lakewood High School Parent/Teacher/Student Association
- Current member of the Lakewood Athletics Booster Club
Certification
- Pre-K through 12th Grade Principal License, #OH-142-1658, 06/30/26
- Early Childhood Teaching (P-3) & Reading Endorsement (K-12) License, #OH-142-1658, 06/30/26
- OTES certified, 08/05/2024
- OPES certified, 08/02/2024
References
- Ms. Jessica Gamble, Principal at Riverside School, 202-497-3227, Jessica.Gamble@clevelandmetroschools.org
- Mr. Gregory Plantner, Principal at North Ridgeville Academic Center/Previous Principal at Liberty Elementary School, 440-453-8463, GregoryPlantner@nrcs.net
- Dr. Craig Phillips, Retired Superintendent from North Ridgeville City Schools/Professor for Cleveland State University, 440-241-2673, ctphillips1978@gmail.com
- Dr. James Powell, Retired Superintendent from North Ridgeville City Schools/Current Executive Director of Professional Development Services, 440-864-1424, JPowell1@ashland.edu
Timeline
Assistant Principal
Riverside PreK-8 School
06.2019 - Current
Assistant Principal/Manufacturing and Construction Academy Leader
Max S. Hayes High School
08.2017 - 06.2019
Curriculum and Instruction Specialist/Building Testing Coordinator
Max S. Hayes High School
08.2016 - 07.2017
Administrative Internship/Teacher Leader
Liberty Elementary School
07.2008 - 07.2016
Substitute Teacher
Maple Heights City School District
12.2007 - 06.2008
Title I Teacher (Grades K-5) and Classroom Teacher - 1st Grade (One Year, Leave Replacement Position)
Grant Elementary School
10.2005 - 06.2007
Substitute Teacher
Lakewood City School District
08.2005
Substitute Teacher
South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District
09.2003 - 05.2005
Substitute Teacher
Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District
09.2003 - 06.2004
Coordinator of Residence Education and Program Facilities
Case Western Reserve University
08.2000 - 08.2003
Lyden House Coordinator
Youngstown State University
07.1999 - 08.2000
Residential College Director
Murray State University
07.1997 - 08.1997
Inspired Leaders Administration Licensure Program -
Cleveland State University
Master of Education in Early Childhood Education -
Cleveland State University
Master of Science in Human Services -
Murray State University
Bachelor of Science in English and American Literature and Language -
Eastern Michigan University