Rita Ghazal

Analyzes, assesses, acquires, and sells real estate for profit using self-directed IRA

• Purchases tax and foreclosure auction properties
• Doubled number of partner investors in 1 year
• Brokered key relationships resulting in over $700,000 in capital in 18 months
• Grew portfolio by over 25% year-over-year for first 36 months
• Rapidly sells acquisitions and produces impressive financial returns
• Sold first acquisition for 45% gain in 21 days; sold second for 83% gain in 45 days
• Renovated and converted fourth into a rental property earning 11% annually
• Grew portfolio to 8 properties in 36 months producing 39% sales profit.

Led strategic change and process improvement efforts to support K-12 leaders solve complex system challenges

• Designed and implemented the organization's first districtwide process to evaluate program implementation
• Doubled the number of participating clients in 3 months
• Increased utilization rates by over 275% in 1 year
• Led cross-functional team; developed and delivered organization's first fiscal analysis of clients' readiness to sustain $22 million in federal programs
• Increased service delivery rate 130% in 1 year
• Supported districts in initiating, executing, and scaling education initiatives through processes and systems; focused on capacity building and long-term sustainability
• Fostered a culture of continuous improvement through regular feedback and retrospectives
• Supported districts’ efforts to initiate, launch, execute, monitor, and scale education initiatives districtwide through process and systems integration; improved intra-district awareness and knowledge of systems management, program coordination, and coherence
• Oversaw the planning, design, and data collection for federal grants’ evaluative impact research studies; ensured adequate project staffing; monitored site participation; adhered to reporting requirements; developed communication materials; established execution timeline; managed constraints; acted as the primary liaison between the project team, partners, and clients.

Led and co-lead teams dedicated to managing federal, state, regional, or district initiatives.

Co-Project Leader, Texas’ Teacher Mentoring and Advisory Committee (MAC)

• Co-led an eight-panel committee nominated by the Texas Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House; the MAC was responsible for evaluating the state’s implementation of current mentoring guidelines and developing “recommended guidelines that align teacher induction and mentoring activities with expectations for new teacher based on teaching practice standards.” Supported the committee and Texas Education Agency in its report to the Texas Legislature; provided research and best practices on teacher indication and mentoring, coordinated on-site stakeholder meetings; provided consultation and access to experts and key knowledge on mentoring; collaborated with essential staff and partners and provided analysis and consensus-based meeting protocols to support the committee’s objectives
• Incorporated research findings on teacher induction and best practices designed to improve teaching and learning, teacher retention, reduced LEA costs on teacher turnover, and improved teacher self-efficacy
• Completed the project on time

Quality Assurance Reviewer, Educate Texas Teacher Preparation Collaborative

• Served as quality assurance reviewer for research and reports developed from in-person and virtual Texas Teacher Collaborative task force meetings; the Collaborative was responsible for the development of a suite of recommendations that address challenges in the teacher preparation pipeline
• Advised writers and researchers on draft report(s)

Team Member, Texas Educator Equity Plan, Texas Comprehensive Center

• Team member of the Texas’ educator equity planning and development team responsible for support the state of Texas in its efforts to identify educator equity gaps in high-minority and high-poverty schools; determined root causes for the gaps, and selected strategies that would likely impact decreases in the identified gaps
• Oversaw the development of stakeholder meetings
• Used national content center key experts and tools and resources to support the State’s work
• Developed strategic practices and processes that systemically would help support a reduction and/or elimination of educator gaps in Texas schools and districts where the gap(s) exist

Task Lead Support, The State Support Network

• Served as lead support for a community of practice convening, one part of a federal technical assistance strategy for states, designed to support state development, submission, and implementation of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plans
• Coordinated with subject matter experts and community facilitators, provided outreach to chief state school officers, developed project timelines, work plans, and outward facing correspondence
• Provided planning assistance for state leadership team webinars, proposed deep dive convenings, and troubleshooted aspects of states’ plans
• Managed partner collaborations as needed in delivering this intensive technical assistance

Project Facilitator, Co-Interpretation

• Worked with the New York State Curriculum Audits Team as a document reviewer and lead facilitator
• Guided an innovative approach to multivariate data collection and collaborative interpretation to assist districts and schools in corrective action use data to develop concrete action plans for improvement.

Led cross-functional teams to support client’s multi-year (initiation, launch, pilot, full-scale implementation) projects and goals and objectives; led or co-led all aspects of the full project life cycle

Program Management

• Executed 53% of all project deliverables ahead of schedule with a 100% on-time execution rate for internal deliverables assigned to my project team; outpaced other states’ completion rate by 25%+
• Developed and fostered collaborative team environment; supported, developed, advised, and coached staff
• Planned and led internal and external calls and face-to-face meetings; developed project plans, WBS, agendas, and status reports

Planning and Technical Assistance

• Advised leadership teams on effective practices, strategies, recommendations, and key approaches to improve statewide adoption
• Developed strong business relationships; earned client trust; built strategic client alliances around the country; aligned other initiatives to existing work; broadened program impact
• Identified client challenges, planned solutions, incorporated best practices and research, and presented findings, data, and recommendations for improvement
• Designed process frameworks; directed implementation plans and strategy; built client alliances around the country; aligned other initiatives to existing work; broadened program impact
• Improved client awareness and knowledge of systems management, program coordination, and coherence; increased client capacity to execute change over time

Facilitation and Training

• Facilitated collaborative, consensus-driven outcomes among stakeholder groups; used proven, adult-learning and research-based models; designed meeting content, including processes and techniques for identifying and solving industry problems
• Delivered trainings and presentations; managed all-related project materials and post-meeting items; improved overall communication methods.

Supported the successful launch and implementation of $3M in technical software solutions

• Provided customer-facing consultative services and best practice recommendations for product integration during lifecycle; developed product-training materials; secured and leveraged resources for scaling into schools
• Spearheaded internal work group; reduced turnaround time for product bugs; improved product usability and performance; conducted UAT
• Developed unique communication structure to manage project goals; combatted missed deadlines.

Managed all aspects of a $150M federal program.

• Aligned, upgraded, and integrated data management and reporting systems into state’s compliance structure; designed and delivered statewide trainings
• Increased participation rates by over 600% in less than 1 year
• More than doubled the number of services requested statewide each year
• Increased number of on-time payments each year by 30%+
• Established performance measures to control and monitor $100M in expenditures

Program Manager of Strategic Initiatives

• Developed and implemented the nation’s largest and Texas’ first $300 million teacher leader initiative.
• Provided direction, strategy, and support for program participants; analyzed legislation, conducted policy analysis and research; developed recommendations for implementation, improvement, and expansion; escalated issues; led statewide trainings and professional development
• Delivered superior customer service.

Served as a peer reviewer for the Offices of Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality and Innovation and Improvement

• Selected from a nationwide applicant pool of 1,000 and confirmed as grant peer review panelist based on skills and expertise with education reform, educator effectiveness, personalized learning, integrated service support, and application review and evaluation
• Only 10% of applicants were selected
• Using selection criteria evaluated and scored federally funded competitive discretionary grant proposals (STEM, Smaller Learning Communities, and Promise Neighborhoods Programs).

Planned, implemented, and evaluated $9 million in local education agency (LEA) Title I, Part A programs

• Served as State Chief content expert, trainer, and facilitator for various school improvement requirements
• Managed special high-profile projects; approved policies; implemented federal statutes and regulations
• Provided highly complex, analytical, and technical responses on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Originated, developed, and taught unique, interactive 8th-grade science curriculum

• Implemented standards-based education and included reading and writing into daily activities
• Elected to teachers’ union association; team leader; AVID representative; science department co-chair; district science curriculum committee member.