Agenda Item
a. PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education approve the hiring recommendation of Dr. Nicole Bullen, to the position of Executive Administrator, in the Division of Schools & Leadership, as discussed in the executive session.
NICOLE BULLEN
ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Offering over 16 years of School Leadership- Achievement in Developing Productive
Student-Focused Environments to Maximize Learning Expectations
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 7/18-Present
Hambrick Elementary School, Principal
Provide Instructional Leadership for a K-5 Title I School with 514 students and 66 faculty members. Develop an
Annual Improvement Plan aligned with the school's needs assessment and CCRPI data. Maintain a culture that
provides continuous learning and growth opportunities to sustain a strong Instructional Core, while directing the
alignment of curriculum with state standards and district goals. Establish meaningful parent and local partnerships.
➢ Received the Georgia Department of Education Title I Reward School Designation for 2022-2023.
➢ Increased the school's 2019 CCRPI score by 8.3 points to 80.1, with academic growth surpassing 99% of
state schools and exceeding the district average.
➢ Achieved 100 points in Progress and Closing Gaps on the 2019 CCRPI report, with a 6.4% increase in
Content Mastery and a 10.64% increase in Literacy Readiness.
➢ Earned the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement Beating the Odds designation for 2019.
➢ Restructured the ELA block to ensure Structured Literacy and Writing are evident across K-5.
➢ Implemented a K-5 vertical Math Block to include Number Talks and Guided Math to enhance fluency,
conceptual understanding, and daily differentiated instruction.
➢ Engaged PLCs in backward planning of the curriculum and structured lab sites to deepen content knowledge
of the standards and view/study instructional methods ensuring equitable access for all students.
➢ Implemented common and benchmark assessments to adequately monitor progress, mastery of the curricular
standards, and identify persistent gaps for all student groups, including EL, Exceptional Ed, and Gifted.
➢ Acquired contracts with Southeast Reading Center, Scholastic, and POWER to enhance the school’s ELA
and Math Professional Learning program.
➢ Dekalb County School District Region IV Principal of the Year for 2023.
NATIONAL HERITAGE ACADEMIES, ATLANTA, GA 2/16-7/18
Atlanta Heights Charter School, Executive Principal
Instructional leader for a K-8 Title I charter school with 724 students and 60 faculty members. Oversee overall
instructional and operational management. Member of the Executive Principal team, collaborating with principals,
teachers, and community stakeholders to ensure curriculum relevance, implementation, and effectiveness.
➢ Increased the school’s 2017 CCRPI score by 6.4 points to 66.3, removing the school from the state’s
“Chronically Failing Schools” list.
➢ Increased Elementary Students’ Academic Growth on the GA EOG Exams. For 2016-17, Elementary
Academic growth was higher than 71% of elementary schools in the state, a 47% increase from 2015-16.
➢ Named a Beating the Odds school by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement for 2016-17.
➢ Restructured the school’s Literacy Block to include a focus on a five Day Close/Shared Reading Cycle of
Complex Texts, Phonics Instruction, Guided and strategy Reading Groups, and Independent Reading.
➢ Revamped assessments for Early Grades (K-2), Special Ed, and EIP programs to determine student reading
and math levels and establish a common language for discussing student performance.
➢ Collaborated with NHA ELA, Math, and Science content coordinators to review and enhance curricular
maps, ensuring alignment with standards, and developing targeted strategies for K-8 education.
➢ Engaged Upper Elementary and Middle School staff in the 5E Lesson Planning model for Math, Science, and
Social Studies.
NICOLE BULLEN Page 2
Professional Experience-continued
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, QUEENS, NY 4/10-8/15
Public School 163Q, Principal
Instructional leader for curriculum, staff supervision and hiring, student management and support, liaison with
parents and local community, in a K-5 Title I school with 668 students and 46 faculty members. Managed an
annual budget of over $4,500,000 to ensure efficient use of curricular resources and alignment with district goals.
Ensured compliance with federal, state, and local educational regulations and standards.
➢ Received the New York State Title I Reward School designation for Academic Achievement in 2014-15.
➢ Attained a grade of “A” on the NYC Progress Report for the Number of Students Scoring at or Above
Proficiency 4 years in a row and two overall grades of “A.”
➢ Consistently received additional credit on the NYC Progress Report for Closing the Achievement Gap for
English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities.
➢ Led teacher PLCs in creating, writing, and revising school-wide ELA curriculum maps through an ongoing
study of the Common Core State Standards.
➢ Implemented a school-wide study targeting Language Acquisition for EL students and the Impact of
Processing Delays for students with IEPs. The EL study was adopted as one of the goals for the District. The
school’s Mandarin Dual Language Program was also used as a study for effective EL instruction.
➢ Developed a model of distributive leadership through the school’s vertical instructional team, grade level
PLCs, and the School Leadership Team (SLT) comprised of parents, teachers, and admin.
➢ Acquired close to 1 million dollars in City Council grants to revamp the school’s Media Center & Library,
upgrade technology in all classrooms, and sustain the Arts Programs.
NYCDOE LEADERSHIP LEARNING SUPPORT ORG, BRONX, NY 7/09-4/10
Network Support Specialist
➢ Provided monthly professional development workshops and training for a network of 21 principals,
administrators, and school staff to align resources and enhance the curricular and instructional program.
➢ Collaborated with principals to establish professional development contracts with curricular vendors
Teacher’s College, AUSSIE, and Scholastic for instructional planning and support.
➢ Conducted learning walks with School Leadership Teams to assess, monitor, and revise the instructional
program in accordance with the Quality Review rubric.
NYCDOE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, QUEENS, NY 9/08-6/09
Aspiring Principal’s Program
NYCDOE, QUEENS, NY 2/06-6/08
P.S. 182Q, Assistant Principal
NYCDOE, NEW YORK, NY 9/00-6/03 & 9/05-2/06
P.S.46M, P.S.195Q, Math and Sci Institute (3rd,4th & 8th Grade Gifted Teacher)
FULTON COUNTY SCHOOLS, EAST POINT, GA 8/04-5/05
Oak Knoll Elementary School (2nd Grade Teacher and Leadership Intern)
ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ATLANTA, GA 8/03-5/04
E.L. Connally Teacher (3rd Grade Teacher and Grade Level Chair)
EDUCATION
School Improvement Ed.D., University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA, Jan. 2023-Present
School District Leader Program, Queens College-Queens, NY, May 2013, Cert NYS SDL
Adv. Ed Leadership Cert., Univ. of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA, May 2005, Cert L-5 GA (P-12), NYS SAS
M.S. Elem Education, Hunter College-New York, NY, Jan. 2003, NYS Common Branch (PreK-5), GA Clear
Renewable L-5, EC (P-5) Elem Ed LA (4-8)
B.S. Health and Wellness, SUNY College at Buffalo-Buffalo, NY, May 1999
ORGANIZATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated
REFERENCES FURNISHED UPON REQUEST