Ray Talley
Mandan
Summary
Dedicated education and mental health professional with experience in instructional and behavioral support. Delivered effective strategies to enhance educational outcomes in diverse settings. United States Service Member with a tour in Afghanistan, showcasing resilience and commitment to service. Focused on empowering individuals and communities through innovative educational practices and mental health initiatives.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Social Worker
Bismarck Public Schools
Bismarck, ND
08.2025 - Current
- Evaluated student and family needs by administering child/family/teacher interviews, behavioral scales, and functional behavioral assessments to inform development and implementation of individualized plans of services aligned with educational objectives.
- Developed school and home crisis intervention plans addressing health emergencies, runaway child situations, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and family member suicide to ensure appropriate support for students and families in crisis.
- Organized training opportunities for staff, parents, and/or students on parenting skills, community resources, district programs, social skill development, and mental health awareness to help parents maintain positive home environment and support the child's educational program.
- Coordinated interagency communication and activities with mental health, housing, probation, medical providers, youth camps, food banks, and clothing/supplies to support referrals for families and students.
- Ensured case records and documentation confidentiality alignment with NASW Code of Ethics and Bismarck Public Schools Special Education policy to support adherence to mandated requirements.
- Facilitated mediation sessions to resolve parent-teacher and student conflicts by offering support and referral options, providing community resource information, and assisting with referrals to promote student success.
- Participated in meetings, training sessions, and seminars to share relevant information and collect required inputs for building-level meetings, student evaluations, intervention plans, behavior plans, attendance tracking, and team strategies.
- Coordinated interim transportation assistance to enable students and/or family members to receive required services and participate in scheduled meetings.
- Coordinated wrap-around process for higher-risk students and families, delivering social skills instruction, resiliency training, motivational training, and developing behavior intervention and support plans to support implementation of education plans.
- Ensured adherence to school policies and procedures to support orderly operations.
- Developed and implemented intervention plans tailored to students' specific needs and challenges.
Military Officer
North Dakota National Guard
05.2016 - Current
- Assisted soldiers through skill-development programs focused on promotion readiness and future career growth.
- Modeled expected conduct and professionalism for subordinates while positively representing service to public.
- Provided guidance and support to advance higher education aspirations.
- Planned and organized troop deployments, coordinated activity schedules, and led execution of military operations.
- Led enlisted personnel to support daily operations and command priorities.
- Led training exercises to enhance unit readiness and operational effectiveness.
- Developed strategic plans for resource allocation and mission execution.
- Planned and led training exercises focused on improving unit readiness and operational performance.
- Developed strategic plans outlining resource allocation and mission execution priorities.
Assistant Dean
Bismarck State College
Bismarck, ND
08.2024 - 08.2025
- Advocated for student needs and promoted student success outcomes.
- Oversaw coordination of operational activities and monitoring of performance results across all academic (credit and non-credit) programs within assigned departments.
- Coordinated staff assignments, course schedules, and faculty workload allocation to support department operations.
- Optimized and developed course schedules to meet unit cost goals, reducing low-enrollment sections and increasing course fill rates for assigned departments.
- Managed development and implementation of new programs and curriculum; supervised ongoing curriculum updates to align course content with student industry and workforce requirements.
- Led academic innovation and continuous quality improvement efforts, overseeing academic assessment and additional student success activities to advance departmental strategic goals and division objectives.
- Recruited, retained, supervised, and mentored adjunct faculty and staff to sustain instructional coverage across multiple instructional areas.
- Provided cross-functional support for college strategic recruitment, enrollment, retention, and completion initiatives to maintain progress toward institutional priorities.
- Directed accreditation strategy for K-12 and Business and Industry Leadership Teams (BILTs), managing public-private partnership coordination.
- Managed end-to-end curriculum development to improve academic offerings and ensure consistency with institutional goals.
- Planned and facilitated faculty training sessions focused on instructional practice improvement and student engagement strategy development.
Principal
Theodore Jamerson Elementary
Bismarck, ND
09.2023 - 08.2024
- Managed day-to-day delivery of educational social/emotional and nutrition services, ensuring compliance with federal and state guidelines for Theodore Jamerson Elementary School students per school-wide plan and SMART goals.
- Developed UTTC and Bureau of Indian Education budgets and reports, managing programming funds across all grants and coordinating fund budget changes, cost transfers, and other budget adjustment activities.
- Monitors all purchase requisitions to support cost compliance.
- Aggregated school performance metrics and submitted structured data updates to the INDISTAR reporting tool.
- Managed coordination of transportation, custodial, cafeteria, and other support service requests and schedules.
- Supervised school plan operations update workflows, coordinated abatement plan revisions, and performed site assessments for facility condition evaluation.
- Build positive school climate to strengthen staff recruitment and retention. Leads hiring and staff evaluation processes while providing guidance to improve teacher and staff capability.
- Managed daily supervision of school staff and coordinated instructional development processes.
- Assessed teacher performance using established evaluation procedures during the evaluation process.
- Designed professional development plans using schoolwide needs assessment data and teacher/staff evaluation findings.
- Supervised implementation of social-emotional and counseling programs and coordinated student achievement assessments.
- Developed collaborative leadership approach and engaged community stakeholders to foster positive school culture.
Dean of Students
Weld County Re-4 School District
Windsor, CO
07.2020 - 08.2023
- Monitor the daily routine with students in areas such as attendance and tardiness, orderly behavior, and adherence to the student and district handbooks.
- Supported teachers by tracking student attendance and managing student conduct.
- Communicate with parents on a regular basis regarding their child's attendance and tardiness, student conduct and general well-being at school and promotes parental involvement.
- Maintained accurate records of student behavioral issues to inform interventions and support.
- Promoted and implemented student activities and clubs to foster rapport between students and school.
- Develop student behavior monitor and data program to evaluate outcomes daily.
- Assists in the dissemination of information regarding school and district programs, policies and procedures to parents, staff, and community.
- Provide documentation and recommendation to the school principal and appropriate district office staff regarding suspensions and expulsions of students.
District Social Worker (40hrs/wk)
Weld County Re-4 School District
Windsor, CO
08.2021 - 07.2022
- Assessed student and family needs and conducted targeted support for individuals and groups to ensure appropriate direct services delivery.
- Coordinated delivery of resources addressing home and life structure needs for school adjustment.
- Coordinated inter-agency communication between community agencies and school districts to support streamlined student and family referral workflows and enhance collaboration on expanding resources and services.
- Directed scheduling and facilitation of crisis team meetings at designated sites, administering crisis intervention services as required.
- Coordinated professional development training sessions focused on trauma behavior needs and behavior modification strategies to enhance effective student support.
- Co-facilitated MTSS team meetings to implement interventions and coordinate timely referral and linkage of families to appropriate resources.
- Provided targeted support resources for students and families with attendance concerns to support truancy write-up documentation and compliance.
- Collaborated with educators to create personalized intervention plans addressing student needs.
School Social Worker (40hrs/wk)
St Vrain Valley School District
Longmont, CO
08.2019 - 08.2021
- Coordinated social-emotional and behavioral support for students and families/legal guardians during IEP meetings, planning, and follow-through.
- Coordinated communication and service delivery between school and community stakeholders to support student academic and social success for students, families, and school personnel.
- Monitored changing academic conditions and adapted responsibilities to align with evolving requirements.
- Facilitated clear, responsive communication between students, staff, administration, and community wraparound providers with priority on student best interests.
Student Engagement Specialist (40hrs/wk)
Zero Dropout LLC
Greeley, CO
08.2018 - 07.2019
- Built rapport with high school students who are disengaged from school or have dropped out to encourage continued engagement.
- Developed rapport-based relationships with youth and assessed interests in returning to school.
- Assessed barriers youth face in returning to school to align needs with wraparound support services.
- Coordinated partnerships with local nonprofit groups, community organizations, churches, government agencies, and businesses to expand access to community support supporting student success.
- Completed scheduled home visits, assessed barriers to school reentry, and implemented risk-reduction measures to facilitate school return.
Supported Education and Employment Specialist (20hrs/wk)
North Range Behavioral Health
Greeley, CO
04.2016 - 08.2018
- Supported individuals in Transitional Age Community Treatment program to identify and pursue education and work goals.
- Provided individualized support with individuals experiencing First Episode Psychosis to support them in their education and employment journey.
- Developed and maintained relationships with county employers to facilitate job opportunities for individuals.
- Guided individuals in finding jobs aligned with their interests and strengths.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota01-2016
Doctor of Education - Educational Studies
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley01-2024
Master of Science - Social Work
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND01-2019
Skills
- Case management
- Client advocacy
- Crisis intervention
- Conflict resolution
- Multidisciplinary team collaboration
- Instructional leadership
- Teacher evaluation
- Staff management
- Attention to detail
- Student advocacy
- Behavioral assessment
- Team supervision
Timeline
Social Worker
Bismarck Public Schools
08.2025 - Current
Assistant Dean
Bismarck State College
08.2024 - 08.2025
Principal
Theodore Jamerson Elementary
09.2023 - 08.2024
District Social Worker (40hrs/wk)
Weld County Re-4 School District
08.2021 - 07.2022
Dean of Students
Weld County Re-4 School District
07.2020 - 08.2023
School Social Worker (40hrs/wk)
St Vrain Valley School District
08.2019 - 08.2021
Student Engagement Specialist (40hrs/wk)
Zero Dropout LLC
08.2018 - 07.2019
Military Officer
North Dakota National Guard
05.2016 - Current
Supported Education and Employment Specialist (20hrs/wk)
North Range Behavioral Health
04.2016 - 08.2018
Master of Science - Social Work
University of North Dakota
Doctor of Education - Educational Studies
University of Northern Colorado
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
South Dakota State University
Military Experience
- North Dakota National Guard
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Helmand Province, Afghanistan. 2011-2012
Publications
Talley, Ray Andrew Jade, "Portraiture of Four Reservation Community College Graduates" (2024). Dissertations. 1136.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/1136
Talley, R. (2025). To be determined. Ray Talley Ed.D.