Lauren S. Ford
Business Development Manager
Houston,TX
Summary
Lauren Ford is an innovative educational leader with a talent for strategic program development and relationship-based coaching. Drawing on her strengths in Ideation, Strategic thinking, and Input, Lauren excels at generating creative solutions, identifying patterns, and gathering the resources needed to drive educational improvement.
As a natural activator with strong relator abilities, Lauren balances her drive for action with a genuine commitment to building deep, meaningful professional relationships. This unique combination enables her to not only develop visionary leadership frameworks but also implement them effectively through coaching and mentoring.
Throughout her career in K-12 education leadership, Lauren has demonstrated exceptional skill in creating professional development programs that transform how educational leaders approach their work. Her ability to connect disparate concepts into cohesive frameworks has resulted in leadership initiatives that effectively identify, develop, and retain top talent. Her strategic approach to program design consistently helps educational leaders exceed established student success goals.
Lauren's professional path includes progressive leadership roles spanning campus and district levels, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges facing aspiring and current principals. She holds a Master of Arts in Education Administration from Lamar University and multiple Texas Education Agency certifications, including PK-12 Principal Certification.
With expertise in leadership coaching, facilitation, program design, and educational improvement, Lauren brings both visionary thinking and practical implementation skills to any leadership development initiative.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
5
5
Certifications
Work History
Regional Partner Manager
ASCD
Houson, TX
01.2023 - 12.2024
- Participated in sales calls with direct reports to strengthen customer relationships and uncover possible opportunities for growth.
- Contacted key accounts regularly and achieved high satisfaction scores by routinely re-assessing needs and resolving conflicts.
- Created robust sales plans and set territory quotas.
- Targeted prospects in other territories through careful research of competitor products, services and trends.
- Assessed each location's individual and team performances, analyzing data trends to determine best methods to improve sales results.
- Collaborated with senior executives to evaluate performance in regional area and develop strategies to expand revenue generation.
Senior Manager
Houston ISD Leadership Development
Houston, United States
08.2018 - 09.2022
- Executed appropriate staffing and onboarding of team members with aligned leadership competencies and job related skill training.
- Implemented productivity benchmarks across all departments to maximize company revenue.
- Consolidated vendors and renegotiated contracts to optimize costs.
- Interfaced with leaders of cross-functional collaborative teams for district-wide leadership and professional development for 280 PK-12 schools/programs, and all academic and educational support departments (i.e. Special Populations, Family and Community Engagement, Academics, Student Assessment etc.).
- Creator and author of programming and content frameworks to support retention and identification of top-talent internally and externally.
- Conceptualized and wrote famework to develop and execute annual summer professional development conference for over 2,000 educational leadership members.
- Served as lead strategist and contact execute monthly principal and executive leadership meetings aligned to district Superintendent strategic priorities and board of education goals.
- In response to data, led teams focused on development of aspiring, new, and veteran leaders equipping campus teams to accomplish support student success, surpassing established goals.
- Wrote and executed district wide school improvement plan framework for all schools.
Professional Training Specialist
Houston ISD Leadership Development
Houston, United States
09.2017 - 08.2018
- Conducted orientation sessions to assess skill levels and areas of strength and weakness.
- Evaluated success of training programs and recommended improvements to upper management to enhance effectiveness.
- Used various learning suites to implements instructional specialist face-to-face and e-learning programs.
- Developed content plans, instructional materials and written practice assessments for aspiring leaders and continuing leaders training courses.
- Reviewed and created content delivered by Interim Superintendent during Welcome Back annual leadership project, resulting in more than 800 district leaders and central office staff opening school year.
- Partnered and created content with HISD Legal Department to deliver annual Staff Documentation training aligned to ethical best practices for support campus leadership in educational law.
- Created new tracks of leadership support aligned to hiring trends for campus leadership roles.
- Partnered with Universities and Colleges to offer robust continuing education leadership cohorts earning master’s degrees in educational leadership.
- Wrote grants to support campuses through TSL (Teacher and School Leader) federal grant.
Assistant Principal James Madison HS
Houston ISD Schools Office
Houston, United States
07.2016 - 07.2017
- Oversaw schedule management and protocols for orientation, registration and related activities.
- Supervised and evaluated teaching and support staff through instructional leadership and professional development.
- Supported hiring, training and disciplinary action in compliance with legal guidelines and requirements.
- Created systems and monitored compliance efforts for fire and other safety regulations by reviewing and rewriting effective safety plans.
- Trained teachers and staff of 60-70 on effective teaching techniques, classroom management strategies and behavior modification.
- Built and maintained positive relationships with diverse stakeholders, such as parents, school volunteers and outside agencies.
- Monitored and evaluated educational programs specifically aligned with transformational needs to maintain high-quality performance objectives and standards.
- Partnered with Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Texas Education Agency support personnel to administer school program in alignment with vision and goals, providing positive, high-expectation academic environment.
Academic Trainer
Houston ISD Leadership Development
Houston, United States
09.2014 - 08.2016
- Created new programs for instructional specialists and other second level leaders on campuses.
- Coordinated ongoing online training and personal development courses for leaders and staff members around Site-based Decision Making Committees (SDMC) campus support implementation.
- Delivered new employee on-boarding and training sessions in facilitative leadership and other leadership frameworks.
- Led and monthly coaching and feedback sessions for District Wide Instructional Leadership cohort of over 100 instructional support staff.
- Scheduled and delivered face to face trainings and online courses to increase learning opportunities.
- Quickly adapted training plans for leaders' needs, keeping timelines, budgets and desires in mind.
- Educated leaders on proper use of products and systems.
- Delivered instructional presentations coaching and feedback, focusing on efficiency and sustainability.
- Tracked attendance and evaluated progress for assigned cohort members.
- Monitored and reported trainee progress, introducing new learning tools to address individual needs.
- Performed continuous evaluations of content and plans to enhance delivery and improve effectiveness.
Reading Interventionist Holland MS
Houston ISD Schools Office
Houston, TX
07.2014 - 08.2014
- Collaborated with 45 teachers to assess needs, set objectives and discuss strategies.
- Gathered, organized and analyzed data weekly on student needs and progress.
- Enhanced knowledge by attending training and adopting new technologies.
- Implemented tracking tools to evaluate successes and areas in need of improvement.
- Supervised small reading groups of students increasing reading abilities by 30%.
- Affirmatively communicated and promoted positive attitude with each and every student.
- Developed/Wrote interventions for students currently at risk of falling behind.
- Collaborated with teachers to assess needs, set objectives, and discuss strategies that were written into all individual education plans.
- Gathered, organized, and analyzed data on student needs and progress and created reports to drive interventgions.
Education
Master of Arts - Education Administration
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX05.2010
Bachelor of Arts - Music
Dillard University
New Orleans, LA05.2002
High School Diploma -
High School For Performing And Visual Arts
Houston, TX05.1998
Skills
- Administering Social Media Accounts
- Graphics Creation
- User Documentation Production
- Creative Cloud
- Technical Research
- Critical Thinking
- Technical Diagrams
- Technical Specifications
- Active Listening
- Professional Relationships
- Customer Relationship Management
- Client Needs Assessment
Accomplishments
- TABSE 2022 Annual State Conference: Reimagining Education, Session, Presenter
- Parent University Stafford MSD September 2021, Keynote Speaker, Presenter
- Data Driven Instructional Specialist 2022 Cohort Kick-off (HISD), Presenter
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2021) "Partnership Video" https://vimeo.com/user146275748/revie w/599730970/13c5b55e27
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (2021) "Houston District Ramps Up Efforts to Recruit Male Educators" https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/houston-district-ramps-up-efforts-to-recruit-male- educators
Affiliations
Ladies for Literacy Guild, General
Member
Houston Association of School
Administrators (HASA), General Member
Houston Area Alliance of Black School
Educators (HAABSE), General Member
Texas Alliance of Black School Educators
(TABSE), General Member
Certification
- EC-4 English as Second Language Certification - Texas Education Agency
- EC-4 Generalist - Texas Education Agency
- PK-12 Principal Certification - Texas Education Agency
- Critical Friends Groups (CFG) Coach/Trainer, National School Reform Faculty (NSRF)
- Certified Appraiser, Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System, Texas Education Agency
- Advancing Education Leadership, Texas Education Agency
Timeline
Regional Partner Manager
ASCD
01.2023 - 12.2024
Senior Manager
Houston ISD Leadership Development
08.2018 - 09.2022
Professional Training Specialist
Houston ISD Leadership Development
09.2017 - 08.2018
Assistant Principal James Madison HS
Houston ISD Schools Office
07.2016 - 07.2017
Academic Trainer
Houston ISD Leadership Development
09.2014 - 08.2016
Reading Interventionist Holland MS
Houston ISD Schools Office
07.2014 - 08.2014
Master of Arts - Education Administration
Lamar University
Bachelor of Arts - Music
Dillard University
High School Diploma -
High School For Performing And Visual Arts
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