Mara Simmons

Experience

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  Lennox School District

  Sept 1997 - Jul 2001

  Assistant Principal at Lennox Middle School

  Achievements• Created a five component approach to a school-wide literacy campaign- Reading Initiative.• Implemented a math support program using Riverdeep.• Developed an Academic Leadership Team made up of representatives of the different grade levels and contents.• Supported a technology grant allowing for 24 classrooms to be outfitted with 6 computers and teacher training for two years.• Received a middle school demonstration grant for Physical Education and from there the department earned State honors for being an exemplerary program.• Created master schedule for 2200 students with teacher teams and scheduled students.• Served on district report card committee and implemented a new report card in all schools. • Served on the district English standards committee and created a system of pre-post testing students to determine growth.• Re-wrote and adapted state content standards.• Trained teachers in reading comprehension skills across the content.Responsibilities:• Oversaw the curriculum and instruction for the middle school with nearly 2000 students and 120 teachers.• Supervised new teachers. Show less

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  Animo Leadership Charter HIgh School

  Jul 2001 - Jun 2004

  Principal

  Achievements:• Increased graduation rate for Lennox seniors to 88% from a norm of 50% in 2004. • Increased 4 year university/college acceptance rate to more than 60% of seniors compared to less than 8% in the local district in 2004.• Obtained WASC 6 year accreditation in 2003.• Developed a successful 4 year high school model that continues to be replicated by Green Dot Public Schools. (School ranked 31st in nation according to US World News and Reports, 2008)• Created a service learning project helping to provide mentors to elementary school students, elementary tutoring program.• Negotiated first teachers’ contract; part of CTA.• Built a collaborative stakeholder group with participation from teachers, parents, students and classified. Major decisions were discussed with the collective.Responsibilities:• Grew school adding a new grade level each year to a total enrollment of 515 students; school began with 140 9th graders; I joined the school after its first year. • Provided instructional leadership and created a bell schedule that supports collaborative planning across the discipline and meeting time for grade levels.• Maintained the school budget of near 3 million dollars allocating for salaries, facilities, transportation, materials and supplies.• Facilitated partnerships within the community working with the school district, elementary schools, St. Margaret’s Center and Lennox Sheriffs. Show less

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  Green Dot Public Schools

  Jul 2004 - Jun 2005

  Vice President of Education

  Achievements:• 2 out 3 Schools met their API goals: 2 new schools achieved high API base scores in 2005.• Created first manual of current practices within the organization in math and language arts.• Led five schools’ leadership teams in establishing their school goals for the year.• Created first new teacher orientation across the organization.• Presented a successful school model at the Harvard Symposium called High School Dropout Rates, 3/2005.• Supported the implementation of a summer bridge program for all incoming 9th graders at each of the schools.Responsibilities:• Planned and delivered many professional development sessions bringing content-like groups together at least twice covering with the focus on aligning department standards, backwards planning, and assessment preparation.• Extensively researched different tools to improve internal assessments and made a recommendation to the organization’s principals.• Coordinated special education programs for each of the schools to insure a just practice.• Mentored two first year principals in developing the first year of their school. Show less

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  Loyola Marymount University

  Jan 2005 - Aug 2007

  Adjunct Professor

  Achievements:• Co-designed a Stuart Foundation Grant partnering Ánimo Leadership and LMU with a focus on improving math/science instruction: Grant award was $300,000 total over two years.• Excellent student feedback results.• Re-formatted course 6961 with a team of colleagues to better serve students.Responsibilities:• Taught course 6961, Portfolio and Assessment of Teaching, and course 6250, Improvement of Literacy in Single Subject Secondary Classrooms.

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  PUC Schools

  Aug 2007 - Jun 2013

  Starting a new charter school in coordination and co-habitation of LAUSD pilot schools at a new facility called the Sonia Sotomayor Learning Academies. Together we are pushing the model of collaboration and leadership between district and charter schools with the shared vision of developing a successful complex serving all students. All schools are focused on pursuing high graduation rates and college success for all students. We are started with grades 9-11. At eCALS our model is implementing the best practices from the beginning to develop a high achieving culture. Our students come from over 20 different schools and in this new school we are about building on every stakeholder's talent to make it the best. Show less Achievements:• Worked with staff and students to increase API each year from 719 to over 800 in the last four years.Instituted a goal setting process across school content departments.• Developed new curriculum to support college readiness in the ninth grade course.• 70% college acceptance rate for class of 2008 as of March, 2008• Implemented Advanced Placement program for Spanish and Calculus.• Wrote organization’s policy on math advancement.• Revitalized parent meetings to be more interactive and community building.• Lead efforts and played a major role in the school’s Focus In Learning/WASC self study and the CA Distinguished School ApplicationResponsibilities:• Mentor school principal.• Coach all teachers in instruction.• Induct new teachers and support them throughout first year.• Evaluate teachers.• Design and deliver weekly professional development and plan full day sessions around school ESLRS, goals and action plans.• Coach the college counselor and develop internal systems to track student progress.• Design master schedule and school bell schedule as well as scheduled the students.• Plan WASC training for all stakeholders and begin to develop school portfolio.• Design and oversee independent studies program for long-term absences and students on the verge of dropping out.• Facilitate parent meetings in Spanish and English. Show less

  • Principal

    Jun 2011 - Jun 2013

  • Instructional Leader

    Aug 2007 - Jun 2011
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  Los Angeles Unified School District

  Jun 2013 - Apr 2015

  Instructional Director part of the ISIC team

  Working with schools and building the capacity of the principals I will help them to implement the schools' design plans and ultimately improve student achievement. Much of the work will be doing learning walks, sharing best practices, reviewing data and providing feedback to help the entire school grow. I am part of a team of 19 instructional directors whom all support between 4-6 schools each. We work out of the district office but spend most days on site of the schools we serve. More details to come once the work begins. Show less

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  Activate Learning

  Jul 2015 - Jul 2020

  Project Manager- Teaching Training and Teacher Development

  "Transform lives through learning"Facilitate/manage the PGCE (post graduate certification education) program.Develop ways to strengthen the program and incorporate more technology.Support teachers in their own professional growth to impact their student results.

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  TBD

  Jul 2020 - now

  Education strategist

  Available to engage in short and long term projects to bring high quality education to all learners age 2-infinity online, in person and anywhere in the world.

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  EduMenTeach

  Sept 2020 - now

  Co-Founder and Co-Director

  EduMenTeach is here to serve your educational needs that go beyond formal schooling. Our company provides solutions to how you organize, track and share your hard-earned certificates and qualifications with our CMyQual product, making it simple and hassle-free. EduMenTeach offers bespoke training and a special series of courses called Worker to Sage, designed for professionals and field experts to share their expertise and knowledge with confidence for a greater impact in a school setting. More information can be found at: www.edumenteach.com. Show less

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  CTL Academy

  Sept 2021 - now

  Senior Coach/Curriculum Consultant

  Working with the teachers and leaders of CTL Academy to help the school transform and become a leading school preparing students for the future. Through weekly professional development sessions teachers were empowered to adapt their teaching to embrace project based instruction, interdisciplinary projects connected to relevant topics to students' lives. In addition we modernized the bell schedule to include morning fitness, time for gratitude and regular advisory time that checks in with students as people. Show less