Help Us Find a New Program Coordinator for the Alabama Best Practices Center

The Alabama Best Practices Center is searching for a new Program Coordinator. The way we go about it here offers a clue to what it’s like to work with our team and our colleagues throughout the A+ Education Partnership!

A well-used quote that rings true is “the only thing constant is change.” That’s a truism with two dimensions. Sometimes we welcome change: a new job, a new car, a new friend. At other times, we may find ourselves sad or resisting change.

And – if we take the time to really reflect on the impending change – we might discover both some sadness and some excitement about new opportunities.

Such is the case with the departure of ABPC Program Coordinator Emily Strickland. Emily is leaving the ABPC (sadness) to pursue a new important change in her life: moving to Connecticut and pursuing a master’s degree in clinical counseling (celebration and opportunity).

You’ll hear from Emily personally, but let’s talk about our new job opportunity first.

The ABPC Program Coordinator

The opportunity to bring someone new into our ABPC team doesn’t happen often. When it does, we work hard to find just the right person: someone who is a learner, committed to continuous improvement, and who understands what it means to be a “servant leader.”

Because the program coordinator is usually the first contact educators have with the ABPC, we are looking for a friendly, organized, and humble person who is excited about joining a great organization committed to helping educators develop the confidence, courage, and commitment to do whatever it takes to effectively reach all students.

If you think you might be interested in applying (or you might know of someone who’s a good fit), you’ll find the complete job description here.

KLN South – Our first Key Leaders Network meeting of 2019-20

Here are some highlights of the Program Coordinator’s work:

Managing the ABPC Networks and Related Professional Learning: The ABPC currently manages three networks: The Key Leaders Network (district and school leaders); the Powerful Conversations Network (school teams from across the state); and the Instructional Partners Network (school-based instructional coaches and teacher leaders). “Managing” includes overseeing participation, invoicing, awarding professional learning units, and keeping network members about schedules and opportunities.

Meeting Planning: The program coordinator schedules and coordinates logistics of network meetings (arranging locations and meals, tracking attendance, and coordinating the development, proofing, and preparation of meeting materials).

Managing Data: Help Executive VP manage, evaluate, maintain and improve data collection, including identification of new data to be collected and analyzed. Knowledge and use of Microsoft Excel, Google Docs and related software required.

Communications Support: Manage the ABPC website and social media accounts. Assist with webinars, Google Hangouts, and other online communication tools.

Office Support: Assist with office management of A+ Education Partnership, including helping answer the phone, attending key staff meetings, and being part of an ongoing learning community.

In our job flyer, you’ll find more details about these elements of the job and a description of the desired skills and dispositions.

Our professional learning events are interactive and collaborative.

Emily’s thoughts

You can see from the job description highlights that we stay busy and the work can be challenging and even exhausting at times. In support of transparency and because we can’t think of anyone better suited to share the personal and professional rewards of accepting this challenge, I’ve asked Emily Strickland to reflect on her three-year experience as Program Coordinator.

The ABPC has truly been a wonderful place to work. The many lessons I’ve learned will continue to drive me to be a better person every day. The relationships I have made through our educator networks have been deeply affirming and life changing.

I feel so lucky to have developed relationships with so many committed educators and witnessed the wonderful work that schools in Alabama are doing in every part of our state. It has really opened my eyes about the power of public education to change children’s lives for the better.

When you have the opportunity to visit the schools of people you’ve been working with through meetings and phone contacts, it’s so energizing – you actually see the professional learning you’ve been supporting in action, making a difference, and it makes our daily efforts at ABPC to get the big and little things done all worth it.

In this job, I’ve had access to some of the most impressive thought leaders in the education field, and I have never felt small or unimportant or unappreciated. This has been a wonderful place to learn and grow in a safe environment. Education was not my background but everyone has made it a home for me. I know my friends and colleagues at ABPC will make the same warm and welcoming home for our next program coordinator and they will make wonderful new things together.

Saying thank you to everyone who has embraced me and taught me along this journey could never be enough. I like this insight from the writer Anais Nin: “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”

— Emily Strickland, ABPC Program Coordinator (2017-2020)


To Apply

Please email or fax your letter of interest and resume to:

Cathy Gassenheimer
Executive Vice President
Alabama Best Practices Center
Phone: (334) 279-1886
Fax: (334) 279-1543
Email: [email protected]

Applications must be received by February 14, 2020

To learn more about the Alabama Best Practices Center please go to our website. And feel free to explore the A+ Education Partnership’s other work.