ORA LEE WATSON

Committed professional educator with demonstrated success contributing innovation and creativity to educational institutions. Sound knowledge of school systems, learning styles and student development. Dedicated to improving school curriculum and assisting students with unique learning needs.

• Taught elementary school for eleven very successful years in diverse urban environments, three years of which were in Idar Oberstein, Germany for the Department of Defense.
• Began, owned and operated a successful business for which I was named the business person of the year by the Black Chamber of Commerce in Dallas, TX.
• Developed and implemented the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) in Dallas Independent School District, Texas.
• Significantly improved student performance in 10 of 13 DISD schools on the State of Texas's low performing list.
• Directed Extended Year and Extended Day Programs in DISD that served in excess of 40,000 students with a budget of $55,000,000.
• Lead the writing of Extended Year Curriculum for K-12 courses in four core content areas in both English and Spanish.
• Assisted in the development and implementation of an improvement plan in New Orleans that resulted in 88 of 102 schools meeting AYP.
• Reduced payroll inflation due to mismanagement in New Orleans resulting in an estimated savings of 12-25% of the total budget.
• Closed four schools in New Orleans projected to save in annual operating costs.
• Assisted in reducing the budget deficit in New Orleans Public Schools which resulted in the district receiving an improved credit rating after the yearend audit.
• Implemented Comprehensive School Improvement Plan in Richland One School District in Columbia, South Carolina.