NEWS RELEASE
Union County Public Schools Superintendent Patricia Sheffer has completed the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program making her one the first Superintendents in the state, and one of only 20 nationally this year, to accomplish this impressive distinction. This achievement will be recognized at the annual conference in New Orleans scheduled for March 2017.
As a requirement of the certification program, Sheffer successfully mastered and completed components in the areas of Transformational Leadership, Board-Superintendent Relationships, Equity in Teaching and Learning, Community Partnerships, Communications and Transparency, Leadership of Curriculum and Instruction, Effective Budgeting, and Technology Integration for 21stCentury Learning.
Launched in 2013, the National Superintendent Certification process is spread over 18 months and is tailored for superintendents who have been in the job five years or fewer. The forums, seminars and coaching provide opportunities to define and examine issues that surface in real life situations.
The AASA National Certification Program is designed to provide a robust experience that focuses on sharpening the skills that successful superintendents acknowledge are needed to thrive on the job, and prevail in the political and economic pressures of the job. The school district is often the biggest organizations in the community it serves, managing the largest budget and supervising the greatest number of employees.
According to Superintendent Sheffer, one of the main benefits of the program was being able to work collaboratively with some of the lead learners in our nation. “In this program,” said Sheffer, “I had the opportunity to work closely with one of the best educational mentors in the nation and I feel like we both benefited from the experience.”
“Mrs. Sheffer is an exemplary superintendent and in pursing national certification, continues to set the example for UCPS employees,” said UCPS Board Chairperson Jennifer Buckman. “I would like to congratulate Mrs. Sheffer on this significant career milestone. She already is one of the finest superintendents in our nation and we are blessed to have her leading our school district. This national certification has helped to develop her abilities even further; I am pleased that she continues to invest her time and effort into developing her leadership skills and leading the way in improvement for our schools.”
