NATASHA Y. COTAR

As Program Director for the S-TAC, I leveraged my existing skills while expanding my expertise by supporting and guiding Regional Technical Assistance Centers (R-TACs) and grantees in the planning and implementation of the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP).

• Co-developed and facilitated professional learning spaces, including the Community Schools Collective Learning Space, statewide webinars, and monthly Communities of Transformative Practice for the eight R-TACs.
• Critical thought partner and member of the Resource, Communication, Data, and Summit Planning subcommittees in partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Californians for Justice (CFJ), and the National Education Association (NEA), in the development of new resources for the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP).
• Provided direct support to eight Regional Technical Assistance Centers (RTACs), guiding planning and implementation grantees in alignment with the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP).
• Planned, coordinated, and executed a variety of aspects of a large-scale educational conference, including program development, speaker engagement, logistics management, and cross-departmental collaboration, to ensure a meaningful and impactful experience for educators, partners, students, and families.
• Co-led the statewide Community Schools Digital Storytelling Fellows, facilitating hybrid learning modules, mentoring participants from diverse education sectors, and supporting the creation of digital narratives that highlight the impact of community schools on students, families, educators, and local communities.

As a Program Director, I continued to hone my skills in all previous areas, while also having the opportunity to grow into my best leadership self, an individual that my team counted on and came to for mentorship and collaboration.

• Analyzed, synthesized, and disseminated existing and new state and federal educational legislation as it related to both districts and charter schools.
• Collaborated with team members and our communication team to develop a variety of reports, graphic presentations, and infographics to relay valuable information and promote best practices.
• Created content, collaborated with consultants, and provided oversight for the Results-Based Accountability agency work.
• Coordinated, reviewed, and evaluated 18 district Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP) for the inclusion of required metrics, systematic plans, and the effectiveness of programs, practices, and policies.
• Collaborated and facilitated as a lead member of the Differentiated Assistance (DA) team for state-mandated, countywide district DA, with identified districts in Alameda County.

As a Program Manager, I became someone who could be counted on to deliver quality work, and pivot as needed from one project to the next.

• Led and managed the research, development, launch, and analysis of the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) employee satisfaction and educational partner engagement surveys.
• Presented RBA data to various audiences, including the ACOE Leader’s Forum, the All In RBA work group, and the UC Berkeley RBA Panel.
• Supported, reviewed, and evaluated mandated strategic plans, including the Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LCP), due to COVID-19.
• Analyzed, reviewed, and evaluated charter school petitions, renewals, and material revisions, with an emphasis on state and local indicator data.
• Led and managed the workflow and timeline for the new charter petition for the San Leandro Catalyst Collegiate Charter School (SLCC).

Transitioning as an RLOT into the RAAP department, I was able to grow as a research professional and hone my data collection and analysis skills.

• Managed the research, development, launch, and analysis of the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) employee satisfaction and educational partner engagement surveys.
• Strategized and collaborated as a member of the Differentiated Assistance (DA) team on the inaugural, state-mandated, countywide district DA.
• Partnered with various departments to present information at the Lead Learner Network, comprised of district administrators from the county.
• Analyzed, clarified, and verified 18 district Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP) for the inclusion of required metrics, systematic plans, and the effectiveness of programs, practices, and policies.

• Curated and sustained a relevant, diverse, and organized statewide library as an integral member of the center.
• Coordinated the Material Review Board (MRB) process annually with program managers, including vetting new board members to review possible additions to the research-based library and to review evaluation submissions of materials.
• Worked with CDE to create program content and resources for statewide circulation.
• Prepared monthly circulation reports using Google Analytics, and ran monthly link checks to verify website link performance, to aid Program Managers with contract deliverables.
• Met information needs statewide through the collection development of over 10,000 books, DVDs, and educational kits.
• Managed client well-being and satisfaction through constant correspondence and communication with over 30,000 registered library users.