This year in the Aspiring Administrator Leadership Academy (AALA) at Frenship had a great variety of employees participate. Rhonda Dillard, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources says that the group really strives to be lifelong learners.
“This group jelled well together. They had rich discussions and collaborated together. We have some that aspire to be a campus Administrator, an Athletic Director, a CTE Coordinator, and an Instructional Coach,” said Dillard.
Aspiring Administrator Leadership Academy (AALA) has four main purposes:
- Strengthen the depth of the Frenship leadership team
- Guide Frenship leaders throughout stages of their career pathway
- Empower them to impact their campus and expand their influence
- Ensure student success, both now and in the future
“AALA allows us to expose the participants to what Frenship has to offer. We discuss opportunities at Frenship and ways to stand out as a leader. They learn about our vision, our beliefs, and we dig into the Leadership Profile,” said Dillard.
If a Frenship employee is interested in participating in AALA, the window to apply is in early September. “The applicants apply by completing the application sent out through an email. We do require that each applicant either has or is working on a master's degree in Educational Leadership, Administration or Curriculum and Instruction.”
Several AALA participants have moved into leadership type roles including serving as principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, counselors, data intervention specialists, coordinators, and directors.
Dillard explains how this program is designed to build a leadership bench and have leaders ready to step into vital roles within the district.
“We do strive to ensure that we provide meaningful opportunities for aspiring leaders in our district. We work to ensure that the sessions are filled with topics that they might not learn about in a traditional college leadership class.”
This past week AALA participants wrapped up their year-long professional development program and received completion certificates.
This year’s participants include:
- Lorrie Crain, Willow Bend Elementary
- Kimberly Daniel, Willow Bend Elementary
- Patricia Mendez, Oak Ridge Elementary
- Ashley Garza, Westwind Elementary
- Haley Kirk, Westwind Elementary
- Zack Vega, Westwind Elementary
- Whitney Sarinana, North Ridge Elementary
- Patrick Franklin, Heritage Middle School
- Chara Brown, Heritage Middle School
- Kristy Jones, Heritage Middle School
- Laci Brunson, Frenship Middle School
- Ross Polk, Terra Vista Middle School
- Angela Vangundy, Frenship High School
- Aaron Babcock, Frenship High School
- Chris Roberts, Frenship High School
- Nick Copeland, Frenship High School
Congratulations AALA participants, we can’t wait to see what you accomplish!