Juggling 10 Title Schools: One Coordinator's Journey

What happens when a passionate classroom teacher discovers new ways to impact education? Casie Barksdale never planned to leave teaching, but a desire to improve her technology skills led to an unexpected career evolution that ultimately brought her to the role of Federal Programs Coordinator at Limestone County Schools in Alabama.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
I'm Devin Pintosi, your host.
We are here at the AlabamaFederal Programs Conference in
wonderful sunny MontgomeryAlabama.
I am here with Casey Barksdale.
She is the Federal ProgramsDirector.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Coordinator.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Coordinator over at Limestone County.
So nice to see you today, Casey.
Thank you, Casey.
Can you tell me a little bitabout what brings you here to
the Federal Programs Conference?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Absolutely so.
We have a team of three in ourFederal Programs Department.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
So we have 14 schools in our school district and 10
of our schools are title.
So we have a large budget andso it takes several of us to
manage that.
So I have a federal programsdirector and I'm the federal
programs coordinator.
So we have different areaswhere we kind of have our

(01:00):
specialty.
I have our specialty and sowe're here to find out all the
new information coming down fromfederal guidelines and how we
can help best support ourprincipals as they're creating
their budgets for the upcomingschool year.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Oh, that's wonderful.
Yes, and what brought you intothis role?
Previously, you mentioned aneducator.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
I was.
I was I taught mainly 9ththrough 12th grade.
I was a high school teacher andI love teaching.
Never planned to be out of theclassroom, that was always my
passion.
I had a teacher who I thinkthink we all everybody in
education has that one teacher.

(01:47):
And I had that teacher whopulled me aside in about eighth
grade and gave me leadershipopportunities, and then I knew I
wanted to pattern myprofessional career after her
and I did that and I wanted toget a master's in instructional

(02:08):
technology because macbooks werecoming into our schools and I
was very computer illiterateokay and I needed to grow
professionally.
I never realized that that wouldtake me out of the classroom.
So the computers coming intothe schools brought me to

(02:30):
Limestone County.
So it took me out of theclassroom, brought me into a
different school district and Iwas an instructional technology
facilitator.
But I got into professionaldevelopment so I really enjoyed
professional development.
I love going to professionaldevelopment.
I love providing professionaldevelopment.
So I really enjoyedprofessional development.
I love going to professionaldevelopment.
I love providing professionaldevelopment.
But my goal was to help ourteachers really integrate

(02:53):
technology, not using it toreplace a teacher and not using
it as a digital pencil.
And then I needed a littlebreak and I went out on my own
and spent five and a half yearstraveling across the state of
Alabama to different schools andcontracting to help more

(03:14):
schools.
But I did it more on myschedule, my timeline than an
everyday as a school districtrequires.
Limestone County alsocontracted with me.
Okay, to do some contract workin federal programs, helping
with mckinney vinto okay andthen also um with professional

(03:37):
development.
And then in 2022 my federalprograms director was promoted
to assistant superintendent, sothat opened up the federal
programs director position.
Federal programs coordinatorwent to director, so coordinator
was open and it was just a goodtime for me to go back full

(03:58):
time.
Oh, wonderful.
So I focused on the Title IIbudget, okay.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
And homeless.
What is Title II?

Speaker 2 (04:06):
Mainly professional development.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
So the growth of your teacher leaders.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
That is wonderful, yeah, and is there anything
you'd like to share with theAlabama Federal Programs
community?

Speaker 2 (04:20):
I mean I feel like it's a really great supportive
community.
Anytime we've ever hadquestions, even at the State
Department, everybody's alwayshelpful, they are willing to
teach and our department hasbeen fairly new.
So, you know, mary was FederalPrograms Director one month

(04:41):
before I came on as coordinator,so we've just had a lot to
figure out and they've supportedus.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Oh, that's fantastic.
Well, thank you so much, caseyBarkstaff, she is here with us
from Limestone County.
The Title I coordinator, isthat right?
Yes, federal.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
Programs Coordinator Federal Programs.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Coordinator.
Yeah, for several titles.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yes, yes, since we do have so many, you know, because
we have all the titles and wehave, like I said, the 10 title
schools.
So we have a lot to juggle.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
Certainly do.
Yeah, well, I hope thisconference is assistance for you
.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
And thank you for coming on with us.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Thank you, I appreciate it.