Professional Development

It is no secret that one of the attributes of a high performing school district is to have an effective functioning Board-Superintendent governance team.

Ray and Associates can be the difference between success or failure.

You may have tried other agencies or consultants and have not yet had the success you sought. Our process is open, candid, objective and results-oriented. We create opportunities to learn how to best manage the district with a careful differentiation and healthy respect of the differences between board’s and administrative responsibilities.

Please peruse our professional development opportunities below:

• GROWING AND SUSTAINING A CULTURE OF HIGH STUDENT PERFORMANCE
  Discover what systems and practices are necessary; those that precede a significant in student achievement.
• GOAL SETTING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING
  Learn several different mechanisms a district must employ for successful strategic planning.
• VITAL STEPS BOARDS CAN TAKE TO ENSURE SUCCESS OF YOUR NEWLY HIRED SUPERINTENDENT
  The honeymoon period should not be wasted! Learn what happens when boards and superintendents properly plan the course of their relationship.
• MAINTAINING A POSITIVE BOARD SUPERINTENDENT RELATIONSHIP
  Boards and Superintendents will learn proven methods for strengthening and maintaining strong board/superintendent relationship.
• EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES FOR BOARDS OF EDUCATION
  Learn significant, highly effective communication strategies every board should employ to enhance the communication flow to and from constituents. You will learn how highly effective boards structure their internal and external communication techniques.
• PASSING A VOTER-APPROVED REFERENDUM FOR BRICKS AND MORTAR AND/OR FOR ADDITIONAL BUDGET AUTHORITY
  In this workshop, boards and administrative teams will learn the most effective strategies available and the necessary steps to ensure a successful outcome on a voter-approved referendum.
• CREATING 21ST CENTURY HIGH SCHOOLS
  This workshop will expose your board/superintendent governance team to a high school program model that is relevant to students, engages them in learning and prepares them for success. The model promotes a high level of student engagement, motivates students, uses appropriate technologies, and provides pathways to careers.

Results-based Professional Development

On behalf of Ray and Associates, veteran superintendents and board members will assist your board in this development initiative. Our firm will review all of the training for quality, consistency and the highest standards of professional development for adults. We want you to be completely satisfied with the training you receive. To ensure results, we conduct regular evaluations of our work and desire to schedule time for follow up conversations with your board president and superintendent. We can also design the training to include reviewing benchmarks at regular intervals.

Not unlike our guarantee of satisfaction in the superintendent selection process, we also guarantee that you will be satisfied with your governance team professional development plan.

The associates that developed the professional development modules, will be the team utilized as the “on site” board trainers. Normally, it will require only one trainer per school board per module. In some cases it may be necessary for a second trainer/presenter.

Ray and Associates maintains a common fee structure for the board development sessions. Pre-developed training sessions will generally cost less than a workshop that has to be customized from scratch. Package discounts are available for school boards that select at least three modules within one year’s time period.

Ray and Associates also provides a certificate program designating your board as a “Professional Board”.  Certificates will be available for any board that complete training in at least five of the available modules in a two year time period.

It is anticipated that with a few of the modules, follow up training and visits by the associate approximately two to three months after the initial training is strongly recommended. These follow up/accountability sessions will ensure boards experience greater results. If the board wishes, once a relationship with the company is built, a specific associate may work with that same board for number of sessions. That associate may also recommend other modules, in a learning sequence, which may be of benefit to the school board.