Ateshia Lester Resume

                                          A TESHIA M. L ESTER

    Dedicated, visionary, results-focused leader with extensive experience in the areas of curriculum, assessment,
      instruction, school improvement, state, and federal programs to positively impact student achievement.
➔    Compassionate and results-driven leader with a distinguished career providing purposeful leadership to Title I
     Schools in implementing academic programs for fostering students’ cognitive and social growth at the
     elementary, middle, and high school levels.
➔    Deep-seated experience in streamlining administrative systems and policies, implementing best academic
     practices, and managing all aspects of business operations, including human resources, budgeting, execution of
     capital purchases, and driving strategic initiatives for establishing and reinforcing the district brand.
➔    Excellent communication skills with remarkable abilities in building strong relationships with leaders, teachers,
     students, parents, and community stakeholders.
                                            …A RE A S OF E XP E RT I SE …
    ➔   Strategic Planner                                          ➔   Mentoring and Coaching
    ➔   Budget Development & Management                            ➔   Design of Professional Development Systems
    ➔   Employee Relations                                         ➔   Data Analysis & Influencing Decision-making
    ➔   Stakeholder Engagement                                     ➔   Needs Assessment & Plan Development
    ➔   Team Leadership, Training and Development                  ➔   Instructional Technology Integration

                                      …P ROFESSIONAL E XP ERIENCE …
                                            Interim Area III Superintendent
                          DeKalb County School District, Stone Mountain, GA, 2022 – Present
➔    Establish explicit and consistent expectations for curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices across
     schools, including district-wide expectations.
➔    Observe and provide feedback on the implementation of instructional expectations and curriculum
     implementation through regional walks.
➔    Provide professional learning in the areas of data, planning, instructional strategies at regional meetings to
     provide coherence across the region.
➔    Gathers qualitative, quantitative, and observational evidence about principals’ capacity for instructional
     leadership to grow effectively.
➔    Support principals with the monitoring and implementation of allotments, scheduling, school-based budgets,
     and comparability
➔    Engage and provide descriptive feedback through short-term action plan meetings with all schools to monitor
     progress on implementing researched based initiatives and data literacy in all school buildings.
➔    Conduct monthly graduation meetings to monitor cohort data and practices to increase graduation rate.
➔    Engages in collaborative work with principals and other leaders to establish working relationship with parent,
     business, and community member through regional town hall meetings.
➔    Support the establishment of local school governance structure and management processes for allocating
     resources in support of learning, equity, and safety for all.
➔    Facilitate district monitoring progress for all region schools with superintendent and district divisions.

                                             Regional Coordinator 3
                           DeKalb County School District, Stone Mountain, GA, 2018 – 2022

➔    Provide support for principals, assistant principals, leadership teams, academic coaches, and teachers to develop
     capacity in improving instruction through coaching and professional learning communities.
➔    Assist school leaders with analyzing national, state, and local assessment data to improve instruction.
➔   Support principals in monitoring the implementation of the district and state curriculum frameworks.
➔   Assist school leaders with building the master schedule
➔   Support principals with extended day requests
➔   Provide descriptive feedback for schools in the development of their consolidated school improvement plan.
➔   Support high school principals with calculating their graduation cohort.
➔   Provide job embedded professional learning and coaching for leaders and leadership teams.
➔   Serve as a liaison between the regional office and various stakeholders’ groups to include school councils,
    parents, and community groups.


                                          School Improvement Specialist
➔                                       Metro RESA, Smyrna, GA, 2014 – 2018

➔   Conduct coaching sessions with building level principals and monitor progress of each state identified school.
➔   Design and conduct training for district and school level personnel in best instructional and leadership practices.
➔   Build the capacity of school personnel to develop professional learning focused on school improvement.
➔   Provide school leaders with descriptive feedback on the implementation of the instructional strategies and
    curriculum.
➔   Provide site-based training in the areas of Effective Leadership Teams, Data Analysis, CCRPI, Co-Teaching Models,
    and Universal Design for Learning for identified state schools across the Atlanta Metro Area.

                                    Office of Federal Programs Coordinator 2
                           DeKalb County School District, Stone Mountain, GA, 2010-2014



➔   Conducts training and provide guidance to school leaders and external stakeholders on Federal Program laws,
    regulations, guidance, procedures including budget parameters, needs assessment, plan development and
    expenditure monitoring.
➔   Support school leaders with development and monitoring of school improvement plan and budget to facilitate
    school improvement and increase student achievement.
➔   Collaborate with state level improvement personnel to monitor the site-based planning, implementation, and
    level of effectiveness of the Georgia School Keys in state identified schools.
                                           Assistant Principal of Instruction
                                     Salem Middle School, Lithonia, GA, 2006-2010
                             Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School, Decatur, GA, 2004 – 2006
                                                  Assistant Principal
                             Dr. Ronald E. McNair Middle School, Atlanta, GA, 2003-2004
➔   Supervise core teachers, exceptional education teachers, paraprofessionals, and counselors by providing
    effective leadership and guidance to the educational program within the school and classrooms, resulting in the
    significant growth.
➔   Develop observation and “focus walks” schedules for evaluation of teachers.
➔   Construct and updated the master schedule and perform ongoing scheduling maintenance to maximize FTE
➔   Serve as School-wide Testing Coordinator for local and state assessments.
➔   Facilitate School Improvement Plan and Title I Budget.
➔   Collaborate with district office and state agencies to support school improvement efforts.
                                             Language Arts Teacher
                          Stephenson Middle School, Stone Mountain, GA, 2000 – 2003
                                Terry Mill Elementary, Atlanta, GA, 1997 – 2000
➔   Develop- and implement school-wide targeted specific curriculum to achieve student success.
➔   Assess student performance through formative and summative assessments to improve instruction.
➔   Foster meaningful relationships and communication with staff, students, and parents.

                                             Language Arts Teacher
                           Berkley County School District, Moncks Corner, SC, 1995-1997

➔   Develop- and implement school-wide targeted specific curriculum to achieve student success.
➔   Assess student performance through formative and summative assessments to improve instruction.
                          Stephenson Middle School, Stone Mountain, GA, 2000 – 2004
➔   Foster meaningful relationships and communication with staff, students, and parents.
                                  Terry Mill Elementary, Atlanta, GA, 1997 – 2007


                                              …E DUCATION …
Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision, 2003
Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee
Master of Arts, Middle Grades Education, 1999
Brenau University, Gainesville, Georgia
Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies, 1995
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

                              … OTHER LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE…

Professional Learning Presentations
➔   Utilizing Universal Design for Learning
➔   Creating Effective Leadership Teams
➔   How Healthy is your Team?
➔   CCRPI: The Redesign
➔   Collaborative Planning
➔   Understanding your CCRPI Targets!
➔   Using Data to Drive Instruction
➔   Understanding your School Improvement Plan
➔   Moving to Schoolwide Title I
➔   Effective Co-Teaching with a SPA Environment
➔   DCSD Instructional Framework


Membership of Districtwide Committees
➔ District Teacher Advisory Committee
➔ District Instructional Partnership with Curriculum and Instruction
➔ District Acceleration Committee
➔ District Cognia Accreditation Committee
➔ District English Language Learner Task Force
➔ District EduClimber Core Team