Employer: Wicomico County Public Schools in Wicomico County, MD
Title: Assistant Superintendent for Student & Family Services
What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?
There are so many rewards in leading our Student & Family Services teams. Perhaps one of the greatest and most far-reaching is knowing that each and every day I am able to build on and lead a team of professionals focused on serving and supporting in ways beyond what most may realize — and we do all of this for our students and their success. In addition, I am so fortunate to lead our division across four departments — School Climate & Safety, Special Education, Transportation, and School Health Services — each of which is made up of team members with a focus on serving and supporting. Seeing our SFS team members collaborate to make our mission a reality — “Removing Barriers and Building Bridges for the Success of Every Student” — on a daily basis is very rewarding. Knowing that we work together to ensure that each student is supported and that each family is provided opportunities to engage is powerful as we recognize that our work truly opens doors for students to be successful in their academic experiences. The opportunities we have each day to engage with community partners and others to focus on our students are so powerful as we work to make sure that each and every student has the greatest opportunities to be successful.
What is the greatest benefit of being a NAPSA member?
The professional networks created through NAPSA are powerful tools in the work we do every day. Being able to reference current and upcoming focus areas through the newsletter helps in planning and mapping our work. The opportunities to connect with others in districts similar to our own, as well as districts that are different, are open through NAPSA membership. Education and the areas within student services benefit from the sharing of ideas, the challenge of questions being raised, and the updates of critical information. I look forward to continuing to recognize and utilize the many professional network opportunities made available to me through my membership.