1. SAMANTHA
LOTT-­‐VELEZ
401
Chadwick
Avenue¿Newark,
New
Jersey
07112¿201-­‐233-­‐0984¿samanthalottvelez@gmail.com
EDUCATIONAL
LEADER
AND
IMPROVEMENT
SPECIALIST
PROFESSIONAL
PROFILE
♦ High-­‐performing
educational
leader
with
expertise
in
systems
and
team
building
to
improve
teacher
quality
and
student
outcomes.
♦ Expert
strategist
who
transforms
strategic
plans
into
workable
solutions
and
uses
student-­‐
outcome
data
to
drive
instruction
and
professional
development.
♦ Skilled
in
operational
and
fiscal
systems
ensuring
alignments
in
systems
and
planning
that
result
in
gains
in
student
outcomes.
AREA
OF
EXPERTISE
Child
Development
Vision
and
Goal-­‐Setting
Teacher
Quality
Family
and
Community
Engagement
Management
and
Coaching
Strategic
Planning
and
Leadership
Operational
and
Fiscal
Processes
Project
Planning,
Redesign
and
Execution
Performance
Management
Negotiation,
Persuasion
and
Communication
Common
Core
Goal-­‐Oriented
and
Results
Driven
PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE
NEWARK
PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
—
Newark,
NJ
Supervisor
of
Early
Childhood-­‐
Curriculum,
Family
and
Head
Start
Services
February
to
Present
♦ Developed
and
monitored
the
facilitation
of
a
Teacher
Fellowship
in
partnership
with
Bank
Street
increasing
teacher
expertise
in
early
childhood
pedagogy
and
curriculum
vetting.
♦ Developed
and
monitored
the
successful
implementation
of
two
new
Common
Core
aligned
resources
for
teachers:
Pre-­‐Kindergarten
Curriculum
Initiative’s
Informing
Documents
and
Unit
Exemplars.
♦ Designed
and
developed
the
organization
of
the
department’s
Family
Services
Team.
♦ Managed
the
Head
Start
Program
Planning
and
Operations.
Interim
Executive
Director
of
Early
Childhood,
June
2014-­‐
February
2015
♦ Managed
the
planning
and
successful
allocation
of
a
$90
million
budget.

2. SAMANTHA LOTT-VELEZ Phone: (201)-233-0984nPage 2
♦ Balanced
a
declining
budget
by
reallocating
resources
and
ensuring
compliance
with
State
regulations.
♦ Improved
partner
relationships
ensuing
a
25%
increase
in
Director
training
attendance
and
compliance.
♦ Facilitated
federal
negotiations
resulting
in
$7million
of
Head
Start
funding.
♦ Oversaw
contractual
compliance
with
private
provider
and
local
Head
Start
agencies.
♦ Coordinated
annual
program
evaluation.
♦ Successfully
opened
three
new
Early
Childhood
Centers.
♦ Planned
and
implemented
the
recruitment
and
enrollment
for
over
450
prekindergarten
classrooms
inclusive
of
3
new
Early
Childhood
Centers.
Supervisor
of
Early
Childhood-­‐
Prekindergarten
Curriculum
and
Instruction,
August
2011-­‐
June
2014
♦ Recruited
to
serve
as
the
Interim
Executive
Director
during
the
transition
of
leadership.
♦ Led
the
writing
of
a
grant
that
resulted
in
a
$7million
Head
Start
grant.
♦ Successfully
developed
and
implemented
a
Prekindergarten
transition
to
the
revised
standards
aligned
to
the
Kindergarten
Common
Core
Standards.
♦ Developed
teacher
supports
and
resources
to
enhance
curriculum
implementation
and
improve
student
outcomes.
♦ Supervised
Teacher
Coaches
and
Preschool
Intervention
Specialists.
♦ Provided
assistance
to
all
staff
responsible
for
the
implementation
of
appropriate
early
childhood
practices.
♦ Administered
strategies
designed
to
help
teachers
and
other
professionals
optimize
children’s
learning
and
development
in
all
domains.
♦ Collaborated
and
communicated
with
the
school
district
Office
of
Special
Education.
♦ Facilitated
transition
initiatives
in
collaboration
with
other
preschool
through
third
grade
administrators
and
private
providers
including
local
Head
Start
agencies.
♦
Assisted
in
developing
and
implementing
the
preschool
budget,
preschool
program
plan,
annual
updates,
and
professional
development
plans.
♦ Assisted
in
hiring,
supervising
and
ensuring
evaluation
of
all
in-­‐district
staff
funded
by
the
preschool
programmatic
budget.
♦ Planned
and
co-­‐facilitated
district
Common
Core
Teacher
Leadership
Institute
sessions
for
grades
kindergarten
thru
second.
Summary
Classroom
Teaching
Experience-­‐
Pre-­‐K-­‐thru
Fifth
Grades,
2002-­‐
2011
Rated
a
“Distinguished”
educator
with
high
rates
of
success
in
student
achievement.
Student
performance
increased
100
%
on
the
state
assessment
in
Literacy,
math
and
Science.(100%
passed
Science,
94%
passed
literacy
and
88%
passed
math),
(2008)
Student
performance
increased
100%
on
the
states
standardized
assessment
(NJASK),
(2009
First
year
teaching
third
grade
Math
and
Science,
third
grade
proficiency
in
mathematics
increased
over
30%.
Making
school
third
highest
in
the
district’s
Region,
(2010)
First
year
teaching
fifth
grade
Math,
student-­‐
performance
increased
over
100%
on
the
state’s
standardized
assessment.
(Students
proficiency
increased
over
40%,
with
50%
of
the
proficient
students
being
advanced
proficient),
(2011)

3. SAMANTHA LOTT-VELEZ Phone: (201)-233-0984nPage 3
♦ Facilitated
Common
Core
Summer
institute
for
Principals
and
their
Curriculum
Teams;
compiled
and
presented
data
on
teacher
evaluations
and
professional
development
sessions.
♦ Registered
students
and
teachers
in
the
web-­‐based
program;
trained
teachers
and
supports
staff
on
the
utilization
of
the
program
to
enhance
instruction;
generated
technology
lab
schedule
for
the
school;
oversaw
the
collection
and
interpretation
of
data
on
students’
achievement
as
it
relates
to
the
Common
Core
and
New
Jersey’s
standardized
assessments.
♦ Co-­‐
Facilitated
grade
level
meetings;
assisted
teachers
and
other
school
staff
in
the
collection
and
interpretation
of
data;
developed
and
monitored
tools
for
teachers
to
track
students’
academic
progress;
made
recommendations
to
the
Principal
on
the
enhancement
of
curricular
and
instruction;
arranged
opportunities
for
staff
development
♦ Worked
with
school
staff
to
implement
service
learning
in
the
classrooms
by
helping
teachers
develop
and
adapt
current
curriculum,
leading
and
co
teaching
classroom
lessons,
educating
and
training
staff
in
the
field
of
service
learning,
and
overseeing
the
plans
and
presentations
for
the
school’s
annual
service
–learning
fair.
♦ Trained
Newark
Public
School’s
new
elementary
teachers
during
a
one
to
three-­‐
day
session
on
best
practices
in
instruction,
organization
and
classroom
management
and
disciplinary
procedures.
♦ Established
an
instructional
team
of
shared
decision-­‐makers
to
address
the
needs
of
the
students
using
the
Pearson’s
Seven-­‐Step
Protocol;
developed
purpose
and
agendas
for
meetings;
set
direction
based
on
simple
majority
with
consensus
building;
tracked
the
actions
and
responsibilities
assumed
by
other
team
members;
assisted
school
with
professional
development
strategies
on
implementation;
served
as
trainer
for
the
program
on
staff
development
days.
♦ Modeled
for
new
teachers
best
strategies
in
the
instructional
programs
provided;
served
as
a
coach
in
the
development
of
areas
of
challenge;
created
schedules,
routines,
and
procedures
to
guide
mentees
during
their
first
year
of
the
instructional
program.
EDUCATION
♦ Master
of
Arts
(MA)
in
Educational
Leadership,
Montclair
State
University,
August
2011
♦ Pre-­‐K
thru
Grade
3
and
Kindergarten
thru
Grade
5
Teaching
Certifications,
2002
♦ Principal
(845337)
and
Supervisor
(845336)
Administrative
Certifications
2012