Spotlight 4 Success
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Spotlight 4 Success
Mapping Success in Alabama Education
In this enlightening conversation from the Federal Programs Conference in Montgomery, Bernard shares how he transitioned from a 15-year career spanning roles as teacher, middle school principal, high school administrator, Chief School Financial Officer, and Chief Academic Officer to his current position providing vital support to charter schools. After his formal retirement, Bernard's mentor Russell Rainey invited him to continue making an impact, and he couldn't resist the opportunity to support 8-10 charter schools functioning as Local Education Agencies (LEAs).
Spotlight 4 Success: Spotlight 4 Success
Welcome to Spotlight for Success. I am Devin Pintosi, your host. We are here in Montgomery, alabama, at the Federal Programs Conference. We are excited to have with us Bernard Mitchell. Bernard is with us from NewSchoolsForAlabamaorg and he's going to speak with us about his educational journey. Welcome, bernard, how you doing, oh, very, very well, yes and uh, I'd so love to hear more about what you are doing here with your organization here at the federal programs for alabama.
Speaker 2:I provide back office support for charter schools. As the director of federal programs I work with 8 to 10 LEAs that are charter schools Okay.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's wonderful. 8 to 10 LEAs that are charters. And how did you get involved in that work?
Speaker 2:As my background. I once worked with our CEO and CFO, russell Rainey, as a chief finance officer. He was my mentor and so, after working for several years, 15 years together, after retiring, he said, bernard, there's a possibility somewhere. Would you like to do that? I said, well, somewhat retired, why not?
Speaker 1:There you go. That's great, and so you're in a lot of the schools in the area I am, I am like I said, about eight to ten schools, lea, supporting them with federal programs and curriculum support. Oh, that's great, and people can find out about you through your website.
Speaker 2:They can. That's awesome.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Can you tell us about your work previously? I understand you were in several administrative roles.
Speaker 2:Yes, I guess I'm a former, a former principal, former teacher, matter of fact, former middle school principal. So that's a little different between being a high school principal and middle school children. Remember, you know, when your children was in middle school? Former CSFO and former chief academic officer as well. So, working a few gamuts of different positions, oh that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:I understand you've used American Book Company materials before.
Speaker 2:I have. I love the attention to detail that American Book Company provides the standards-based support.
Speaker 1:I think it's an ideal situation to support any school system. That's wonderful, and did your students see?
Speaker 3:score improvements. Thank you for watching Spotlight for Success. I am Devin Pintosi, chief Operating Officer of American Book Company. We are located here in our headquarters in Woodstock, georgia. All of our materials are printed in USA. We have course books, ebooks and online testing in grades K through 12 in mathematics, ela, science and social studies. These materials are all designed to help students achieve higher scores on their state-specific high-stakes assessments. We guarantee score improvement. You can get free samples of our materials either in print or in electronic formats at abck12.com.
Speaker 2:We look forward to hearing from you greatly and again, I think many times when you have something that looks like the actual assessment, you can provide that type of support all year. It helps schools and students perform much better.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's wonderful, and can you tell us a bit about your educational journey? I understand previously you went to school in Louisiana, is that right?
Speaker 2:I did. I went to high school in Louisiana and then, upon matriculated from there, I started school here in Alabama, and then, upon matriculating from there, I started school here in Alabama, and, for some reason or another, I could not escape Alabama. You've had good experiences here then yeah, it's pretty good experiences. I've enjoyed living here.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's wonderful, and is there any special moments that you'd like to share with the audience about something that happened in the schools?
Speaker 2:And you're like this is why I got into my work here as an educator. Here's what I believe always is when you can show connections. And when I remember as a teacher, a student asked me a question, he asked me this question in particular if a positive times a positive is a bigger positive, why isn't a negative times, a negative a bigger negative? And he was looking at associations and what I realized then is that if you teach with associations, then I will remember it that moment or remember it forever. So we show the why behind the what, and I think that's more important than anything else that we're doing. If we show children, students, parents, whoever it may be the why, they remember the what.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. That goes right into lifelong learning. Exactly the best way to retain and take those skills forward. That's fantastic, wonderful. Do you have anything you'd like to share with the federal program's audience here in?
Speaker 2:Alabama. I just want them to know that anything you're doing is a continuous improvement process, realizing that today you may not be there, but if you stick to everything that you're doing around the curriculum, instruction and assessment relationship, you will get the results that you really want for children oh wonderful.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you very much, Bernard Mitchell with NewSchoolsForAlabamaorg. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 2:Thank you as well.