Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Affiliations
Continued Learning
Timeline
Generic

Tara McKechnie

Sargentville,ME

Summary

  • Detail-oriented team player with strong organizational skills; ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Talented at building lasting relationships, partnering with others, and using data to make decisions.
  • Well-versed in education strategies with experience helping students achieve education goals.

Overview

30
30
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Assistant Superintendent

AOS 93
07.2022 - Current
  • Support Superintendent of Schools
  • Attend all Board meetings (5-9 per month) as ex officio secretary
  • Advise Board on matters concerning curriculum, instruction, assessment
  • Manage resources to benefit students: McKinney-Vento Coordinator, Title IX Coordinator, Affirmative Action Officer, Title Coordinator
  • Supervise ELL Specialist, Gifted & Talented, PEPG Steering Committee, school counselors/social workers, nurses, librarians.
  • Oversee budgets for shared resources, professional development, federal funds
  • Support principals with Comprehensive Needs Assessment updates to determine annual goals
  • Implement 5-Year Curriculum Review Cycle with staff input
  • Revise reporting system and priority standards with staff input
  • Facilitate Curriculum Planning Committee to engage staff in professional development decisions
  • Recruit and manage instructional coaches to support teachers toward professional, school, and district goals
  • Create summer retreats and administrator training
  • Coordinate Summer Program and secure grant funding
  • Support Human Resource Director with onboarding of new staff members
  • Support Building Principals with monthly check-ins or by request
  • Maintained school focus on learning by enforcing rules related to academics, student discipline and class attendance.

K-8 Principal

Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School
07.2017 - 07.2022
  • Nominated for NAESP 2022 Elementary School Principal of the Year
  • Improved test scores from 29 to 79% in reading and from 13 to 74% in math, surpassing School Improvement goals
  • Developed system to streamline ELA, Math, and SEL curriculum and provided coaching for implementation
  • Established and put into practice MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) Plan
  • Coordinated Steering Committee to finalize TEPG (Teacher Evaluation and Professional Growth) Plan, gain approval, and put in place effective system for educator feedback
  • Recruited and empowered Leadership Team to complete annual CNA (Comprehensive Needs Assessment) and report to staff and Board
  • Successfully completed required State applications for School Improvement Grant (Tier III Strategic Plan Application)
  • Completed the State application for Gifted and Talented Program, recruited and supported G&T teacher through certification process, and established G&T opportunities in academics and arts
  • Designed and organized Summer School programming collaboratively with 21st Century After School Program, local camps, and union principals
  • Actively recruited and recommended teachers and support staff for hire
  • Improved the school climate utilizing: Responsive School Discipline, Restorative Justice, and Social & Emotional Learning instruction.

STEMscopes Consultant and Coach

STEMscopes
07.2015 - 07.2017
  • Consulted with K-12 teachers planning and implementing new science curriculum
  • Coached SIPs (STEM Instructional Practices): Shifting Toward Inquiry, Utilizing Assessment, Implementing Project-Based Learning, Explaining Through Claim-Evidence-Reasoning.
  • Enhanced classroom engagement through use of interactive teaching methods, such as group projects and hands-on activities.

MaineSTEM Partner

Union 93
07.2013 - 07.2017
  • Represented Union 93 at RiSE Center initiatives at UMO
  • Coached and supported Union 93 K-5 teachers with roll out of Productive Talk, Science Notebooks, and new curriculum resource - STEMscopes
  • Provided professional development and organized material system to promote science education
  • Lead TALKscience, HOTscience, and WRITEscience study groups for staff
  • Presenter at RiSE Center for STEMscopes (2015, 2016, 2017)

Teacher

Blue Hill Consolidated School
07.1994 - 07.2017
  • Third Grade Teacher: Aligned objectives/assessments with Next Generation Science and National Social Studies Standards; implemented guided reading, phonics, assessment system; guided children's progress using standards-based assessments
  • First and Second Grade Looping Teacher: Collaborated with K-2 team planning interdisciplinary units; implemented guided reading, phonics; guided children's progress using data
  • Sixth Grade Teacher and Middle School: Integrated economics standards/created school store; integrated Language Arts and Social Studies/Science content; creatively used lessons from Barry Lane and Stephanie Harvey to teach ELA; taught and developed Math Curriculum to integrate with Science and S.S
  • Fifth Grade Teacher: Team-taught curriculum with partner; revised 5-8 BHCS Language Arts Continuum, and led team transition
  • Kindergarten Teacher: Designer/Collaborator of a full-day kindergarten program; advocated for a balanced literacy & full-day kindergarten at local school boards.

Education

Master of Education - Education Leadership

University of Maine
Orono, ME
01.2009

Master of Education - Literacy Education

University of Maine
Orono, ME
01.1998

Extended Teacher Education Program ETEP - Teacher Certification

University of Southern Maine
Portland
01.1994

Bachelor of Arts Degree - Economics Major

Goucher College
Towson, MD
01.1991

Yearlong Exchange - Global Economics

Exeter University
Exeter, England
01.1990

Skills

  • Systems Analysis
  • Organization and Time Management
  • Team Collaboration
  • Relationship Building
  • Problem-Solving
  • Friendly, Positive Attitude

Certification

  • Superintendent of Schools Grades K-12 (010)
  • Assistant Superintendent Grades K-12 (015)
  • Building Administrator Grades K-12 (040)
  • Maine Literacy Specialist Grades K-12 Certification (092)
  • General Elementary Education (K-8) Certification (020)

Affiliations

  • Maine School Superintendents Association
  • Maine Curriculum Leaders Association
  • Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development
  • Women in Leadership

Continued Learning

  • Current: Artificial Intelligence with New England Institute for Teacher Education
  • 2023, MSMS Conference
  • 2023, Drummond & Woodsum Annual Legislative Updates
  • 2022, Drummond & Woodsum Civil Rights and Education Laws
  • 2022 & 2023, Drummond & Woodsum Maine School Law and Practice for Board Members
  • 2023, Drummond & Woodsum Special Education Issues
  • 2022, Drummond & Woodsum Politically Contentious Issues
  • 2023, Drummond & Woodsum The Tangled Web of Discipline
  • 2023, Drummond & Woodsum Title IX
  • 2023, Drummond & Woodsum Affirmative Action
  • 2021, Drummond & Woodsum Maine Special Education Law Institute
  • 2016, STEM Education in STEM Teaching, NISE University
  • 2015, MSTA, STEMscopes Representative
  • 2015, RiSE Center Summit at Sugarloaf

Timeline

Assistant Superintendent

AOS 93
07.2022 - Current

K-8 Principal

Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School
07.2017 - 07.2022

STEMscopes Consultant and Coach

STEMscopes
07.2015 - 07.2017

MaineSTEM Partner

Union 93
07.2013 - 07.2017

Teacher

Blue Hill Consolidated School
07.1994 - 07.2017

Master of Education - Education Leadership

University of Maine

Master of Education - Literacy Education

University of Maine

Extended Teacher Education Program ETEP - Teacher Certification

University of Southern Maine

Bachelor of Arts Degree - Economics Major

Goucher College

Yearlong Exchange - Global Economics

Exeter University
Tara McKechnie