Elijah Palmer Resume

                   Elijah Palmer
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:
Transformational and Democratic Educational Leader with over thirteen years of
impactful experience in the field, including four years as a district-level administrator
and nine years as an educational support personnel. A transformative leader who
champions empathy and compassion, I firmly believe that students do not fail; rather, it
is adults who may fall short in designing effective systems for their success. My
commitment lies in fostering democratic and inclusive environments, ensuring that all
students thrive through thoughtfully created systems and a foundation of empathy in
educational leadership. I understand that policy, people, and practices are three
elements in my approach to addressing student outcomes for all students. I am forever
committed to servicing my scholars, families, community, and the board of education
that I serve to ensure that all are aligned with its mission and vision and are on one
accord.

EDUCATION
Master of Science in School Business Mgmt.                          December 2023
Northern Illinois University                                        Dekalb, IL
Bachelor of Arts in Communication                                   May 2004
Duquesne University                                                 Pittsburgh, PA
Associates of Arts                                                  May 2002
Kennedy King City College of Chicago                                Chicago, IL

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Written Communication Oral Communication               Professional Development
Community Partner     Youth Outreach                   Behavior Interventionist
Parent Advisor        SEL Instructor                   Culture and Climate Specialist
Incident Commander    RP Instructor                    Crisis Intervention Specialist

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Dekalb County School District in Dekalb,
GA July 2023- Current
   ● Leads cabinet meetings with the Executive Cabinet and Superintendent.
   ● Coordinate with the Superintendent on District Priorities and Initiatives.
   ● Lead project management sessions with Cabinet members.
   ● Thought partner with the Superintendent around critical decisions in the district.
   ● Lead monthly workshops around the continuance improvement framework used
      in the district.
   ● Meet with the Public Safety department around safety across the district.
   ● Attend H-PRIDE school visits along with Superintendents and members of the
     Executive Cabinet to address issues related to each respective school.
   ● Accompany the Superintendent to Town Hall meetings for school clusters across
     the district when appropriate usually from 6pm-7:30pm.
   ● Monitors new Strategic Planning as a member of Steering Committee and will
     ensure that it is being implemented and followed with fidelity in June of 2024.
   ● Collaborate with the Communications department about media and speeches to
     be delivered by Superintendent.

Director of Culture and Climate, Evanston/Skokie School District          Aug. 2020-
July 2023
   ● Assist Principals with school work plans around culture and climate goals.
   ● Lead professional development for educators around Restorative Practices,
      Responsive Classroom, Bullying Prevention, and Non-Violent Communication.
   ● Assess data to ensure that exclusionary practices such as suspensions and
      expulsions are used as a last resort.
   ● Provide restorative conversation for adults and families to promote repairing of
      harm and building community.
   ● Lead student advisory committees to promote student voice.
   ● Ensure that active school climate teams are formed at each school building to
      address and identify trends to address discipline.
   ● Member of DEIB to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to add to
      student outcomes and address biases towards gender, race, lgbtq status, and
      disabilities.
   ● Serve as Incident Commander to provide live communication when crisis occurs
      so that all key stakeholders are kept up to speed in real time.
   ● Provide healing circles in the community when gun violence and tragedies that
      impact the community occur.
   ● Provide updates to the board around school climate and support and resources
      needed to address trends that are identified through data and social media.

Culture and Climate Coordinator for Phillips High School          Aug. 2011- Aug.
2020
   ● Provided school support for educators to teach in a safe environment.
   ● Created a behavior management continuum to address Danielson's Framework
      Domain 2.
   ● Created systems to address repetitive tardiness and chronic absenteeism.
   ● Provide restorative practice training for educators.
   ● lead parent conferences of multiple families and stakeholders.
   ● Provide discipline guidance for educators around student referrals and parent
     communication techniques of marginalized families.
   ● Create a uniform culture that identifies all students by grade level instead of
     socioeconomic status to combat bullying through personal appearance.
   ● Invested in cell phone lockers to have students focusing on learning and not
     being distracted by other influences.
   ● Collaborated with District 2 of Chicago’s Police Department to have proactive
     conversation around the approach to teens in Chicago and how to communicate
     with them to build trust.
   ● Develop School Discipline Code of Conduct and involve families and teachers
     during the process.

(2004-2011) After graduating from undergraduate college in 2004, I went abroad to
play professional basketball in Europe and Asia in countries such as Austra,
Belgium, Netherlands, and Japan.

District Leadership Experience
   ● Member of Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Team in a former district.
   ● Served as Incident Commander in the role as Director of Culture and Climate in a
        former district.
   ● Co-facilitate Superintendent Student Advisory Committee in a former district
   ● Leader for Risk Assessment (Threats and/or Suicide) in a former district
   ● Created FACE Liaison position for district in a former district.
   ● Supervise security team across district in a former district.
   ● Collaborates with Principals before suspensions occurred in former district
   ● Leader of the Discipline Improvement Team through the Illinois State Board of
        Education in a former district.
   ● Collaborates with Teachers Union to address policy in a former district in a
        former district.
   ● Currently serves on the Executive Cabinet in DCSD.

Key Achievements
   ● Received Those Who Excel Award by Illinois School Board of Education for
      contribution on DEIB Team in Evanston/Skokie District 65.
   ● Key contributor to decreasing suspension data in the district by 85%.
   ● Developed Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in District that saw bullying
      decrease drastically in two years of implementation.
   ● Saw high school go from a Level 3 to a Level 1 status which is the highest rating
      in Illinois for public schools based on overall performance through my culture and
      climate coordinator support.
● Trained over three hundred staff members on Crisis Prevention Intervention to be
  able to address students who are dysregulated through verbal and physical safe
  strategies.