SUSAN K. SCLAFANI

 

Office: 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20202    (202) 205-0755

 

ACADEMIC PREPARATION

 

1987  Ph.D.        The University of Texas at Austin Educational Administration

1985  M .E.       The University of Texas at Austin  Educational Administration

1967  M.A.        University of Chicago  German Language and Literature

1966  A.B.          Vassar College (cum laude) German and Mathematics

 

1992-93     Participation in Superintendents Prepared Program, An Urban Leadership Development Consortium

1995       Participation in the Harvard University Institute of School Leadership

1996-2000 Certified Main Event Management Model-Netics Associate and Management Course for Principals Instructor

 

LICENSURE

 

Texas Administrator Certification:  Superintendent, Supervisor, Midmanagement

Texas Lifetime Teacher Certification Mathematics and German Grades 6-12

Illinois Teacher Certification Mathematics

New York State Teacher Certification Mathematics

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

Administrator

 

2001-Present Counselor to the Secretary of Education, United States Department of Education.

·        Advises the Secretary on education issues and long-term education initiatives.

·        Represents the views of the Secretary to other Departments and offices in the Executive and Legislative branches.

·        Coordinates outreach initiatives, policy and program directives and documents developed at the Secretary’s request.

·        Represents the Department at meetings of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.

·        Represents the Secretary at national, regional and state conferences and events.

 

1996-2001 Chief of Staff for Educational Services, Houston Independent School District.

·        Coordinates the administration of all educational services to schools and departments through facilitation of the departments of Educational Programs, School Administration, Legal Services, and Community and Public Affairs.

·        Supervises the departments of Research and Accountability; Development, including federal funds administration, grants, legislative relations, and policy development; Special Projects, and Board Agenda Preparation.

·        Oversees the operations of the Office of the Superintendent of Schools and referrals to Superintendent’s Cabinet members.

·        Serves as representative of Superintendent of Schools and resource to School Board members, external governmental, public, and private organizations, and educational institutions.

 

1994-1996 Chief of Staff, Houston Independent School District.

·        Coordinated the administration of the Office of the Superintendent of Schools and referrals to Superintendent’s Cabinet members.

·        Served as representative of Superintendent of Schools and resource to School Board members, external governmental, public, and private organizations, and educational institutions.

·        Coordinated agendas of meetings of senior staff and planning of districtwide programs in light of state and local program mandates.

·        Coordinated/facilitated senior staff’s Performance Planning and Appraisals

·        Coordinated strategic planning and accountability model for district improvement efforts.

·        Supervised technology and information systems for district, including design of $10 million wide-area network system.

 

1992-1994 Associate Superintendent, District Administration, Houston Independent School District.

·        Coordinated the administration of Office of the Superintendent of Schools and referrals to Superintendent’s Cabinet members.

·        Served as representative of Superintendent of Schools and resource to School Board members, external governmental, public and private organizations, and educational institutions.

·        Coordinated senior staff in planning of districtwide programs in light of state and local program mandates.

·        Coordinated strategic planning and accountability model for district improvement efforts.

 

1989-1992 Assistant Superintendent, Construction Management and Program Planning, Houston Independent School District.

·        Developed district policy initiatives as liaison to state education department.

·        Planned and coordinated closing of under-enrolled schools.

·        Established collaborative programs with universities and individual schools.

·        Projected student enrollment and established attendance zones.

·        Directed educational facilities programming for Project Renewal, a $627 million renovation and construction program.

 

1987-1989 Executive Director of Curriculum Development, Houston Independent School District.

·        Planned district-wide K-12 Character Education program.

·        Administered budget of $2.5 million.

·        Directed Project ACCESS (an integrated curriculum for all students, including multilingual, special education, magnet, gifted and talented, and at-risk students).

·        Developed and implemented strategic plan for district.

·        Planned and coordinated $8.5 million district response to accreditation audit.

 

1984-1987 Graduate Student, Cooperative Superintendency Program, The University of Texas at Austin.

·        Analyzed and designed processes, procedures, and programs for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and school districts.

·        Assisted in the development of State Board of Education reform policy.

 

1983-1984 Central Office Coordinator, Instructional Technology, Houston Independent School District.

·        Coordinated integration of technology into instruction at 235 schools and administered budget of $1 million for equity purchase of microcomputers.

 

1978-1983 Magnet School Coordinator, High School for Engineering Professions at B.T. Washington High School, Houston Independent School District.

·        Recruited, selected, and supervised 26 staff members, planned and evaluated the instructional program, integrating math, science, technology, and problem-solving; recruited, supervised, and counseled 450 multi-ethnic magnet school students; developed corporate partnerships and on-going public relations program.

 

Related Professional Experience

 

1999-2001 Adjunct Professor, University of Houston, Department of Educational Leadership.

·        Taught graduate course: Principalship, for HISD’s aspiring principal cohort groups.

 

1988-1994 Adjunct Professor, University of Houston, Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

·        Taught graduate course: Computers in the Classroom, served on dissertation committees.

        1986-1987           Vice President and General Manager, Quantum Access, Inc.

·        Established policies and procedures for newly-formed technology company, designed data process for CD-ROM products for educational administration, and conducted public relations and sales campaigns.

 

Teacher

 

1975-1978 High School for Engineering Professions, Houston Independent School District.

                        (Inner-city multi-ethnic magnet school)

 

1974-1975 Sabbatical Leave: London, England and Nice, France.

 

1972-1974 Woodson Junior High School, Houston Independent School District.

                        (Inner-city 100% minority population school)

 

1971-1972 Central YMCA High School, Chicago, Illinois.

                        (Inner-city private school)

 


ACADEMIC HONORS AND AWARDS

 

American Leadership Forum:  Member of Houston Class XVIII

Annenberg Fellow, Brown University, Coalition of Essential Schools, 1994-

Superintendents Prepared Program, 1992-93, An Urban Leadership Development Consortium

Cooperative Superintendency Program Fellowship, 1985-87, The University of Texas at Austin

Shankland Scholarship, (National Competitive Graduate Education Dissertation Award) American Association of School Administrators, 1985-86

Graduate Fellowship, U.S. Department of Education, 1984-85, The University of Texas at Austin

Graduate Fellowship, 1966-67, The University of Chicago

Research Assistantship, 1966-67, The University of Chicago Computer Center

Full Scholarship 1962-66, Vassar College

 

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

 

American and Texas Association of School Administrators: Workshop Facilitator, Conference Presenter, Committee Member, Chair, Central Office Staff Committee

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (National and Texas): Conference Presenter, Committee Member

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Workshop Facilitator, Conference Presenter, Local Arrangements Committee Member

National Society for the Study of Education

Phi Delta Kappa:  Houston

Texas Council of Women School Executives: Workshop Facilitator, Conference Presenter, Board Member, President, 1989-90.

 

RESEARCH GRANTS AND FUNDED PROPOSALS

 

$250,000 Schools for a New Society, A One-Year Planning Grant to redesign the comprehensive high schools in Houston, funded by the Carnegie Corporation. 2000-20001

 

$15,000,000 Houston Urban Learning Initiative in a Networked Community, Five-year Urban Systemic Initiative Grant to improve the quality of mathematics, science and technology education in the Houston Independent School District, funded by the National Science Foundation. 1999-2004.

 

$2,000,000 Character Education for the Houston Independent School District, Three-year commitments from 20 corporate and foundation sponsors to the HISD Character Education Program 1989. Author and Co-fundraiser with W. J. Bowen, Transco Energy Company.

 

$1,000,000 In Pursuit of Excellence in the Superintendency, Meadows Foundation Grant to the American Association of School Administrators and the University of Texas at Austin, 1987.  Coauthor with Dr. Nolan Estes.

 

$120,000 In Pursuit of Excellence in the Superintendency, Meadows Foundation Grant to the American Association of School Administrators and the University of Texas at Austin, 1986.  Coauthor with Dr. Nolan Estes.  Director of resulting national study of the superintendency.

 

$200,000 Computer Literacy Centers, U.S. Department of Education, 1983.  Coauthor with Dr. John Arch and Dr. Richard Smith.

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

 

Sclafani, S. K. (May, 2001) “Using an Aligned System to Make Real Progress for Texas Students.” Education and Urban Society 33 (3): 305-312.

 

Paige, R., and Sclafani, S.K. (2001) “Strategies for Reforming Houston’s Schools.” School Choice or Best Systems, What Improves Education?  Edited by Wang, M.C and Walberg, H. J.

 

Woodfin, D., Sanchez, K., and Sclafani, S.K. (Spring, 1996) "Community Involvement Jump-Starts a Districtwide Character Education Program." Journal of Staff Development 17, (2)0: 24-28.

 

Smith, R.A., and Sclafani, S.K. (November, 1989). "Integrating Values Learning Systems: Guidelines for Evaluation. "The Computing Teacher 17:36-38.

 

Glass, T.E., and Sclafani, S.B. (July, 1988). "Here Are Skills You Say You Need." The Executive Educator 10:19-20.

 

Sclafani, S.K. (February, 1988).  “Skills and Competencies Needed for the Superintendency:  A Report from the Meadows Foundation National Study of the Superintendency.”  Annual Conference of American Association of School Administrators, Las Vegas.

 

Sclafani, S.K. Smith, R.A., and Arch, J. (November, 1984).  “A Model for a Computer Literacy Project.”  The Computing Teacher  12:39-43.

 

 

PRESENTATIONS

 

Numerous presentations have been done on urban education and reform topics at meetings and conferences of the London Education Authority, American Association of School Administrators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of the Great City Schools, and others.  A list of titles and dates is available upon request.

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE

 

Member, United Way Committees:  Public Policy, Children’s Policy (Committee Chairperson), Community and Agency Support, Success by Six, 1987 - present

Committee Member, Texas Task Force for the Homeless 1990-1992

Committee Member, Hispanic Youth Leadership Forum Steering Committee 1990-present

Activity Volunteer and Conference Speaker, Council for Exceptional Children, 1989-1991

Volunteer, Star of Hope Women and Family Shelter, 1988-1990

Committee Member, Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering, 1975-1985

 

REFERENCES

 

Mr. W. J. Bowen, Chairman of the Board (retired), Transco Energy Company, Houston, Texas 77251, (713) 215-3136

Dr. Nolan Estes, Professor of Educational Administration, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78701, (512) 471-7551

Mr. Robert Mosbacher, Jr, President, Mosbacher Energy, Houston, Texas, (713) 546-2520

Dr. Floretta Dukes McKenzie, The McKenzie Group, 1100 17th Street, N.W. Suite 1100, Washington, D. C 20036, (202) 466-1111

Dr. Roderick Paige, United States Secretary of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202, (202) 401-3000

Dr.Kaye Stripling, Superintendent of Schools, Houston Independent School District, Houston, Texas  77027, (713) 892-6300