Sara James

* Fairfax Education Association (FEA)

* Fairfax Alliance of Black School Educators (FABSE)

* Hawk Award - Outstanding Employee at Hayfield SS, October 2024

* FCPS Cares Recognition, November 2023

* Library of Congress: Making History Come Alive with Primary Sources Region 8 Showcase (Moton Museum/Farmville, VA - 2017)

* Highly Effective Educator (HEE) of District of Columbia Public Schools (2011)

* Disney's Teacher of the Year Nominee (2006)

*Accelerated Certification Cohort (ACC) 2024-25

*Supporting the Mission Cohort (STM) 2023-24

*Co-Founder of the Positive Pressure Initiative (PPI)

*DAV Field of Flags service-learning project Coordinator at Hayfield SS, 2024

*Equity Co-Lead at Whitman MS

*Lead Facilitator of Faculty and Staff Advisory Council (FASAC) at Hayfield SS

*Civics CT Lead at Hayfield SS

*MTSS Team at Hayfield SS

*Equity Team at Hayfield SS

*Mentor Teacher at Ballou HS, Whitman MS, and Hayfield SS

*Young Scholars Advisory Team at Whitman MS

*National Junior Honor Society Faculty Council at Whitman MS

* Halifax County Public Schools * 11th Grade VA/U.S. History Teacher (8/2016–7/2018)

* Phillips Programs * History Special Education Teacher Grades 6-12 (1/2015–7/2016)

✔ Foster an enriching and therapeutic learning environment for students with various learning, mental, emotional, or physical disabilities within a private, special education setting.

✔ Collaborate with parents, teachers, counselors/therapists, etc. to administer testing (i.e. Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery), prepare student IEPs, 504 Plans, and conduct parent conferences.

* District of Columbia Public Schools

World History I/II and Psychology/Sociology Teacher (Grades 9 & 10)

Frank W. Ballou Senior High School (8/2012 – 1/2015)

✔ IB Steering Committee

✔ Mentor for the Girls Mentoring Program

✔ Student Assessment for Growth and Excellence (SAGE) Item Writer

World History & Geography Teacher (Grade 7)

Charles Hart Middle School (3/2009 – 8/2011)

✔ PBIS Team and School Personnel Committee - Collaborate with administration and various departments to support interdisciplinary skills and learning for students, including hiring and supporting new staff members.

* Alexandria City Public Schools * 9/2011 – 2/2012

Social Studies Teacher - Juvenile Detention Center

* State operated program that provides full educational services for school-aged students residing at the detention center who are pre- and post-judicial disposition.

* School programming for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Children Services/Unaccompanied Alien Children Program/Office of Refugee and Resettlement (ORR).

✔ Prepare students for SOL and GED assessments by providing quality, engaging instruction within an alternative educational setting.

✔ Delivery of differentiated instruction in the Social Studies content area for grades 8-12, including English Language Learners.

* Knowledge Learning Corporation * 8/2007 - 2/2009

Center Director for KinderCare Learning Centers

✔ Accountable for all operational aspects of the childcare center; ensured quality care and education for multicultural children, achievement of financial targets/application of proactive cost controls, and delivery of exemplary customer service, customer acquisition, and retention.

✔ Hired and trained teachers and employees with job-critical knowledge and education within adherence of state licensing standards.

✔ Proven strength in sales, marketing, multi-tasking, revenue-generation, and performance evaluations.

* Brunswick County Public Schools * 8/2004 - 7/2007

Civics & Economics teacher

* Hosted teachers in training from local colleges for field experience and student teaching experience programs.

* Executed state standards, resulting in a 91% SOL pass rate on 2006 Civics and Economics SOL Test as a first-year teacher.

Student Council Association (SCA) Sponsor

Talented and Gifted (TAG) Coordinator (Grades 6-8)

* Worked closely with students and administrators to coordinate various school fundraisers, talent shows, Homecoming events, field trips, and casual and formal student dances.

* Promoted student participation in local and national community service projects.

* Cultural Responsiveness Review of Social Studies K-12 Summer Curriculum Development(2019)

✔ Collaborated with FCPS educators to create a culturally responsive social studies curriculum.

✔ Emphasis on critical lens to power, position, bias, relevance, and rigor.

* C3 History Inquiry Design Model (IDM) Project Team/Teaching Tolerance(2020)

✔ Created units of inquiry alongside historians from local museums and historical societies with attention to diverse perspectives and ensuring historical accuracy.

✔ Collaborated with teachers across the state to build integrated inquiry-based learning experiences and aligned performance assessments for the scope of our respective US History curricula; deepened understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy and C3 Inquiry Design Model.

* Social Studies PD Committee (2021)

✔ supported social studies teachers and central office staff in reflection, learning and planning to enact the significant technical edits to the VDOE History and Social Science Standards of Learning proposed by the African American History Education Commission.

* Panelist for “Courageous Conversations” breakout sessions of the 2021 Social Studies Summer Institute

*Collaboration to curate the Black History Month Google site for FCPS(2021)

* Black Teacher Design Lab Project (2021)

✔ Liberatory Design project guided by our equity-centered frameworks and protocols to design school experiences that center the healing and well-being of both teachers and students, and designed curriculum that is liberating and rooted in love.

* Administration and Supervision PreK-12 certification effective 2025

* Postgraduate Professional License - endorsement in Secondary History & Social Science

* Kagan Cooperative Learning Training (2023)

Trained in improving active engagement in students, developing lessons with multiple structures, and leveraging structures to improve classroom management to increase student learning.

* AVID Elective Teacher Training (2022 and 2019)

* Embracing Performance Based Assessments (Radford University - 2017)

* 2017 National PBIS Leadership Conference (Chicago, IL - 2017)

* History & Social Science SOL Fall Institute (Danville, VA - 2016)