Navigating Education Law

Federal education programs exist in a complex regulatory environment that can be challenging to navigate. How do school leaders effectively implement these programs while maintaining focus on what truly matters - student achievement? This question sits at the heart of our illuminating conversation with Erika Clark, Federal Programs Director at Jacksonville City Schools in Alabama.

Spotlight 4 Success: Spotlight 4 Success

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
We are here at the AlabamaFederal Programs Conference in
Montgomery, alabama.
We are here with our specialguest today, erica Clark.
She is the Federal ProgramsDirector at Jacksonville City
Schools in Alabama.

(00:26):
Thank you for joining us today,erica.
You're welcome.
It's good to be here.
Wow, erica, can you tell us abit about what brings you here
to the Federal ProgramsConference?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yes.
Well, this conference is annualand a requirement for Federal
Program Directors.
It provides us with information, especially in the spring as we
wrap up the year and as we'relooking at our programs to
evaluate them, to see what waseffective this year.
Did we see student improvement?

(00:57):
Did we see gains?
Are these things that we wantto continue?
So this is just a very goodtime of the year to come and
focus on the end of the year.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Oh, that's wonderful, and can you tell us a bit about
the steps that brought you here, into this role?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well, I've been in education for a long time over
two decades and I've had lots ofjobs within education, starting
out as a classroom teacher.
So that's my love Englishlanguage arts, always taught
secondary ed.
From there I moved intoadministration as an assistant

(01:36):
principal at a high school.
Then I had a tenure as anelementary school principal.
So from elementary schoolprincipal, so from elementary
school principal.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Thank you for watching Spotlight for Success.
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We are located here in ourheadquarters in Woodstock,
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All of our materials areprinted in USA.
We have course books, e-booksand online testing in grades

(02:09):
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(02:31):
electronic formats atabck12.com.
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Speaker 2 (02:39):
I transitioned to the district level and became
federal programs director andsome other hats because we're a
small district.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Oh, I imagine that can happen.
It does happen.
Is there anything you wouldlike to take away from this
conference or anything you'dlike to share with the federal
programs community?

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Well, the takeaways for me and we've had various
breakout sessions the takeawaysfor me have been to ensure that
we, as federal program directors, convey to the principals in
our district what is allowableand what isn't allowable, but
not just say yes or absolutelynot say, just say no, lead them

(03:25):
to the law, to what the statutessay, so that everybody has a
clear understanding, because youknow federal programs, very
specific guidelines and the theoverarching thing is it has to
equate to student achievement,student improvement, and there

(03:45):
are lots of creative things thatyou can do, but there are
things that you cannot do.
So the takeaway for me is tobetter communicate that with the
principals in my district andshow them specifically where
it's written, because you know,just like all of us, we don't
want to be told no, but if we'retold no, we want to be told why

(04:05):
.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
That is so good.
It's the letter of the law,reflecting the spirit of the law
.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
In this case, academic achievements.
That's wonderful.
Well, Erica Clark, it's been apleasure speaking with you today
.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Federal Programs Director, again in Jacksonville
City Schools.
Thank you for joining us.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
You're welcome.
Thank you for having me.