JENNIFER PHILLIPS
Denton,TX
Summary
Deliberative and driven leader with extensive expertise in the field of education, a passion for developing educators, and a commitment to supporting the evolving needs of diverse student populations. Proven ability to leverage data and analytics to guide decision-making assess instructional practice, design curricular standards, and shape training and professional development programs that meet the challenges of the moment, as well as prepare educators for the future. Lifelong learner and advocate for the value of professional growth. Focused on educational equity, academic excellence, student inquiry, and teacher leadership. Seeking an opportunity to lead innovation for the industry outside of a school-based role. High-achieving Assistant Principal adept at supporting and enhancing teacher success with effective training and mentoring.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Principal
Westlake Academy
07.2023 - Current
- Partnered with principal to administer school program in alignment with vision and goals, providing positive, high-expectation academic environment.
- Supported a positive school culture by addressing student behavior concerns promptly and effectively.
- Enhanced teacher effectiveness through regular classroom observations and feedback sessions.
- Performed classroom evaluations to assess teacher strategies and effectiveness.
- Built and maintained positive relationships with diverse stakeholders, such as parents, school volunteers and outside agencies.
- Monitored student behavior and enforced discipline policies.
- Improved school performance by developing and implementing data-driven instructional strategies.
- Analyzed standardized test results to identify areas of improvement in instruction methods and curriculum content.
- Evaluated teacher performance against established benchmarks, providing actionable feedback for improvement purposes.
- Fostered a safe learning environment by collaborating with security personnel and implementing safety protocols throughout the campus.
- Supervised and evaluated teaching and support staff through instructional leadership and professional development.
- Trained teachers on effective teaching techniques, classroom management strategies, and behavior modification.
Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Instruction
LAKE DALLAS ISD
06.2021 - 01.2023
- Conduct extensive performance reviews for teachers, including informal and formal observations, feedback sessions, and evaluations
- Collaborate with department chairs, teachers, and district staff on curriculum design and content selection
- Disaggregate data from assessments and student progress to design interventions, coach educators on best practices, and improve student engagement
- Design and schedule PLCs to encourage sharing of ideas
- Improve leadership capacity by promoting opportunities for teachers to lead professional development sessions, engage in external learning sessions, and take on new roles within the school/district
- Mentor and coach educators and administrators
- Manage budgets for multiple programs
- Provide professional development
- Coordinate special needs programming
- Support parents and students engaging in the learning process
- Evaluate teaching, learning, instructional resources, and provide growth-minded feedback
- Foster collaboration and teacher development/leadership
- Identify needs, develop programs, and provide staff development to increase teacher effectiveness
- Apply research and data to improve content, sequence, and outcomes of the teaching-learning process.
- Improved student achievement by analyzing data and setting measurable goals for academic growth.
- Empowered educators to take ownership of their professional growth through reflective practices and goal-setting activities.
- Enhanced curriculum quality by collaborating with teachers to develop and implement innovative instructional strategies.
- Developed and executed intervention plans for struggling students, connecting them with appropriate resources to improve academic outcomes.
- Optimized resource allocation by developing strategic plans that aligned with budgetary constraints and prioritized goals for academic success.
- Led successful accreditation processes, ensuring high-quality educational experiences for all students.
- Promoted a culture of continuous improvement through the implementation of best practices in instructional methodology, assessment, and evaluation.
- Facilitated cross-curricular collaboration among faculty to create interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students.
- Boosted teacher effectiveness through targeted professional development opportunities and ongoing support.
- Coordinated extracurricular programming that enriched the overall educational experience for students beyond the classroom setting.
- Increased stakeholder engagement by organizing events that highlighted student accomplishments and promoted school pride.
- Contributed to a positive school climate by modeling ethical leadership behaviors and fostering open lines of communication among all stakeholders.
- Ensured compliance with state and federal educational mandates by regularly reviewing policies and procedures.
- Fostered a collaborative learning environment by establishing strong relationships with faculty, staff, students, and parents.
Adjunct Professor
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Guided educators in building instructional practice, leveraging technology tools, and designing lessons to improve student learning, engagement, and success
- Evaluated changing state and national standards to ensure best practices were integrated into course strategies
- Assessed student performance as coach and mentor for new and experienced teachers
- Developed lessons and facilitated instruction for adult learners in English Instructional Methods and Assessments for Secondary English classes.
Instructional Coach/ELA Teacher
DENTON ISD
01.2005 - 01.2021
- Collaborated across the district to improve school and community relationships, including partnering with students on growing rapport with community organizations and businesses
- Designed projects with a service focus to build 21st century skills for students and promote servant leadership models
- Wrote curricular materials for ELA, ELL, and ELA/History programs
- Built trust with colleagues, students, administrators, and other stakeholders throughout the district, including through committee participation
- Planned and managed various events, including with more than 500 attendees
- Assessed trends and best practices based on local, state, and national conversations among educators
- Coached and mentored educators at both the middle and high school levels, improving instructional performance by promoting a growth mindset, training teachers on building leadership skills, and encouraging self-reflection
- Selected to oversee student teachers for five years during tenure, advising new professionals on best practices, instructional design models and theories, and student engagement techniques
- Led team building and professional development for new teachers as mentor and leader within the internal First Year Teacher Academy
- Led engagement of students from underserved populations by designing instruction and building lessons for the Jump Start program, as well as partnered with other teachers and administrators on selecting students for programming
- Optimized English/Language Arts (ELA) curriculum by collaborating across grade levels to ensure equity, diversity, real-world learning opportunities, and leadership skills development through content selection
- Championed value of unique learning programs, including increasing enrollment in IB English from 3 to nearly 100 while sustaining at least a 93% pass rate in the program
- Secured more than $75K in grant funding for Denton High School as Student Council Advisor
- Navigated COVID-19 by supporting educators as programs and students moved between remote, hybrid, and in-person instruction for two years
- Recognized for leadership and instructional excellence with eight Educator of Influence Awards and three nominations for Teacher of the Year honor
- Additional experience through Pearson Scoring & International Baccalaureate Assessments.
Education
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Instructional Leadership -
Lamar University
Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction with Specialization in English Literature (4.0 GPA) -
University of North Texas
Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (Magna Cum Laude) -
Texas Women's University
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Organization -
Texas Woman's University
Skills
- Educational Leadership
- Instructional Design
- Teacher Professional Development & Coaching
- Mentoring Programs
- Change Management
- Curriculum Development
- Instructional Technology
- Assessments
- Policy & Process Creation
- Adult Learning Theory
- Leadership Development
- Best Practices
- Performance Management
- Data & Trends Analysis
- Event Planning
- Project Management
- Budget Administration
- Grant & Proposal Writing
- Stakeholder Communications
- Community Outreach
- Advocacy
- Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
- English/Language Arts Content
- ELL
- Gifted & Talented
- Instructional Leadership
- Parent Engagement and Communication
- Data-Driven Instruction
- School Improvement
- Policy Implementation
Websites
Community Leadership Engagement
- Former Member-TEA Educator Committee (Assessment Building & Data Analysis for STAAR)
- Member-National Council of Teachers of English, ATPE, ASCD, & Learning Forward/Learning Forward Texas
- Founding Member-iCARE & Cool Young ELA Nerdy Teachers' Book Club
- Volunteer-Keep Denton Beautiful & CASA
Selected Professional Development
- PLC Planning
- Assessments for Learning
- Readers-Writers Workshop
- AP Literature Programs
- Lead4Ward Teacher Mentoring/ Induction
- Adult Coaching & Learning
- International Baccalaureate MYP & IB
- ELL Supports
- 504 & Special Programs
Personal Information
Title: Principal as Instructional Leader Certification, State of Texas, ELA/Reading (Grades 8-12) Teacher Certification, State of Texas, ESL/ELL Teacher Certification, State of Texas
Certification
Principal as Instructional Leader Texas
English Language Arts & Reading Texas
English Language Learner Texas
TTESS & AEL
CPI, Restorative Practices, Instructional Coaching, Mentoring & Induction Leader, Google & Apple Educator
Timeline
Assistant Principal
Westlake Academy
07.2023 - Current
Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Instruction
LAKE DALLAS ISD
06.2021 - 01.2023
Adjunct Professor
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
01.2018 - 01.2021
Instructional Coach/ELA Teacher
DENTON ISD
01.2005 - 01.2021
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Instructional Leadership -
Lamar University
Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction with Specialization in English Literature (4.0 GPA) -
University of North Texas
Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (Magna Cum Laude) -
Texas Women's University
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Organization -
Texas Woman's University
Principal as Instructional Leader Texas
English Language Arts & Reading Texas
English Language Learner Texas
TTESS & AEL
CPI, Restorative Practices, Instructional Coaching, Mentoring & Induction Leader, Google & Apple Educator
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