12/1/2006
School Administrators, High-Tech Executives Team Up To Share Perspectives, Management Strategies
School Administrators, High-Tech Executives Team Up To Share Perspectives, Management Strategies
Have you ever wanted to send an employee to “time out”? Can you envision a teacher treating students as clients and polishing his or her customer service skills? In the age of cross-over appeal, interdisciplinary approaches to organizational development are gaining an increasing amount of attention – and Richardson community leaders are taking note.
Management strategies that apply to both running a business and operating a school are the focus of the Principal Executive Partnership (PEP) program. A collaborative between MTBC and the Richardson Independent School District (RISD), the initiative pairs school principals with the area’s top business professionals to start a dialogue aimed at improved school and workplace performance.
“Schools are essentially in the business of educating children, but administrators are not usually exposed to corporate practices and concepts,” said Shaunna Black, vice president of worldwide facilities for Texas Instruments and chair of the MTBC education committee, as well as a creator of PEP. “Our program bridges the two worlds by introducing key players in both fields and facilitating an ongoing dialogue between them. By sharing different perspectives, it is our hope that everyone involved becomes a more effective manager.”
Launched this past year, the program has seen a great deal of interest from both the public and private sector. Participating RISD administrators include:
- Principal Walter Kelly, West Richardson Junior High School
- Principal Judy Markum, Park Hill Junior High School
- Principal Charles Pickitt, Richardson High School
- Principal Stephen Quisenberry, Liberty Junior High School
MTBC members playing a role in PEP include:
- Paul Bates, senior vice president of Global Operations, MCI
- Ed Cantwell, president and CEO, InnerWireless, Inc.
- Dick Hoesterey, president and CEO, Components Corporation of America
- Jim Watson, associate vice president for technology development, UT Southwestern
“We recognize that today’s quality of education affects the quality of tomorrow’s workforce, and this program is a powerful way to encourage a generation of bright and capable young people,” said Pam Krause, director of leadership and education for MTBC. “The program gives business leaders a better idea of what is happening in our classrooms and provides principals with quality advice on goal-setting, strategic planning and resource allocation.”
The partnership is a product of the MTBC Talent Task Force organized in January 2006 to support education. The mission of the Talent Task Force is to become a regional leader in support of public education by partnering with K-16 school systems to identify, implement and replicate innovative programs that address the needs of the community, by enhancing awareness, participation and performance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and expanding the scope and availability of vocational training.
Among the objectives are to:
- Educate MTBC membership on performance gaps and needs of our local public schools in STEM and vocational education
- Identify existing STEM enhancement programs for adoption by MTBC companies
- Leverage assets and encourage collaboration among secondary and post secondary schools to identify and implement innovative STEM related programs.
- Increase MTBC executive level participation and support of the Principal Executive Partnership (PEP) program.
- Work with the Richardson STEM and PEP schools to pilot integrated STEM models for replication in other schools and districts served by MTBC including greater awareness by educators and students of technology careers.
- Create an MTBC “clearinghouse” of recommended best known methods for implementation in our STEM models.
- Advocate legislation on state and national levels to improve STEM K-16 education, improved vocational opportunities and post secondary opportunities.
For more information or to get involved with the program, contact
Pam Krause at 972.792.2589.
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