DONALD W. BARNETT II
PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER
SHADY SPRING HIGH SCHOOL
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As a future school administrator, I feel the emphasis of my own Christian worldview may be the most focal point from which I can begin. Leadership can be a very complicated process. With so many moving parts, it would be easy to get lost in the mix and lose my path. But like a machine, each part is somehow dependent upon the next to maintain balance, to complete its own role, and to allow progress to continue. When balanced and working efficiently, leadership allows all other parts to work smoothly and independently towards a common goal. My Christian worldview perspective uses the tools that I have been provided and couples them with empathy for others, a servant-leader mentality to always help others to grow and become successful, and it utilizes the teachings of Jesus to apply wisdom to the events of day-to-day operations of a school.
My personal definition of Christian worldview would be the foundation of how I see the world through the lens of Jesus. It is the way I seek to understand the events of my life, humanity, and the world in general. I view the calling of leadership to be much more than an ambitious endeavor. It is a journey; one with lots of stops and things to see. The career is challenging. With ample planning and preparation, a school leadership career can provide the greatest opportunity to positively affect the lives of thousands. For this reason, I take the responsibility very seriously. The responsibility and focus of my own Christian worldview can be utilized to ensure that the needs of my students, families, and community are met.
Through the example Jesus set forth, leadership is influenced by humility, by personal efforts and works, and simply putting the needs of others ahead of your own. Tenets of His teachings included compassion for others, the principles of love for each other, leading with a heart of service, selflessness, humility, and service to others. In the day-to-day operations of a school, school leaders have plenty of opportunities to work on each of these. We also can help guide others to grow and become leaders, as well. I believe the ability to focus on the success of others is an absolute must have trait for a successful school leader and I strongly believe this to be a strong indication of the calling to become one.
The teachings of Christ provide wisdom for any, and all situations. By studying biblical principles and combining them with educational practice, educators and school leaders can develop a greater understanding of the decision-making processes and develop a greater sense of wisdom, problem-solving, and the role of faith in making organizational decisions. I believe this leads to the development of greater ethical decision-making and helps develop growth and leadership qualities of all members of the organization at all levels. I also believe the Christian worldview provides a solid base for a school leader to build rapport of students, teachers, and community members alike through the display of sound judgment, empathy, and ethical dealings with others. In my experience, the leaders who care about and develop their people have always seemed to be the most successful.
My Christian worldview perspective influences the way I prepare daily. It allows me to be considerate and empathetic to others. It provides the framework to respectful debate and developing relationships with others. As a school leader, I intend to work daily to establish positive connections to education, society, and faith at all opportunities. As a servant-leader, I must be willing to help whenever and however the opportunity presents itself. The concept of servant-leadership is built upon the philosophy in which the leader’s goal is to serve and help others perform to the best of their abilities and develop a stronger sense of team and empowerment. I believe the school leader’s role is exactly that, and I hope to be someone that can help others to become the best person they can be as I begin this next part of my career.
NELP Standard 7: Professional Capacity – Promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to build the school’s professional capacity, engage staff in the development of a collaborative professional culture, and improve systems of staff supervision, evaluation, support, and professional learning.
As a participating member of the school leadership team, I can report that individual growth is highly encouraged and celebrated by our current administration. All faculty members are encouraged to participate on committees, department meetings, to pursue professional development opportunities, and to seek additional degree programs and leadership opportunities. The development of a team culture is essential in the overall success of a school and the staff is encouraged to always seek growth and improvement. I enjoyed learning more about this aspect of school leadership and can validate the positive effects a culture can have on its individuals.
Alignment with Standards: The attached agenda/schedule demonstrates the efforts being made by our administration to encourage staff development and improved professional culture through individual growth.
Leadership Team Meeting Agenda (.docx) 0.01mb NELP Standard 6: Operations and Management – Improve management, communication, technology, school-level governance, and operation systems to develop and improve data-informed and equitable school resource plans and to apply laws, policies, and regulations.
West Virginia schools can be analyzed thoroughly regarding graduation rate, attendance, socioeconomic status, diversity makeup, and many other factors through a website called zoomwv.k12.wv.us/Dashboard. The site is provided through the West Virginia Department of Education and allows educators and school leaders access to up-to-date data and the ability to improve communication between school systems, governmental agencies, and extracurricular entities.
Alignment with Standards: Throughout this internship, I have utilized this site on many occasions. With data available in real-time, the site provides much needed data to all school leaders that need it at the touch of a key, making it a valuable resource for all.
Resource LinkNELP Standard 5: Community and External Leadership – Engage families, community, and school personnel in order to strengthen student learning, support school improvement, and advocate for the needs of their school and community.
Through the meeting of our Local School Improvement Committee (LSIC), stakeholders from all facets of the educational process have the opportunity to come together to discuss current state of affairs, review areas of excellence, areas in need of improvement, provide input into curricular and cultural issues, and help prioritize the financial needs and desires related to capital improvements of facilities. Educators, community members, parents, and board members all participate to help influence and create positive change and improvements.
Alignment with Standards: I have participated in LSIC as a parent, and as an educator. This time I had a different perspective from which to consider solutions. As a school leader, there are many more considerations regarding spending and priorities. I value having had the opportunity to see the process through this unique perspective.
NELP Standard 4: Learning and Instruction – Evaluate, develop, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, and assessment.
The identification of students with high rates of absenteeism was a critical part of my accountability protocol project. To meet the needs of NELP Standard #4, parents of students identified with high rates of absenteeism were contacted by the attendance director to discuss the next potential steps and consequences regarding their absenteeism and the effects it would have on their grades and potentially their chances of graduate on time with their peers. I was fortunate to sit in on a couple of such meetings with the school principal, the county attendance director, the assistant superintendent of schools, and the families of the student involved.
Alignment with Standards: Review of West Virginia Senate Bill 568 identifies state level determination of truancy, the rates of absenteeism, and the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Education for West Virginia Schools. This Bill directly affects county policy and provides guidance for school districts to follow.
Resource LinkNELP Standard 3: Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness – Develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive school culture.
During the District Leadership Team meeting, Levy funding information was provided. This money is funded through elections by the decision of the citizens of Raleigh County. Funding through the levy provides $22,862,000 for educational services and considerations for the students and employees of our school system. Some of the financial assistance is for community and social supports, to help alleviate insurance costs for educators, and create capital improvement opportunities.
Levy information (.jpg) 0.15mb NELP Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms – Understand and demonstrate the capacity to advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate and enact professional norms.
In order to meet the NELP Standard #2, I was provided the opportunity to attend a Raleigh County Schools District Leadership Team Meeting. This was a professional development opportunity and all schools’ principals meeting that covered new business, legislative updates, departmental updates, and changes being made to curricular programs. I was able to gain experience in process and policy for the many areas of school leadership and I was able to relay attendance data and project information to those in attendance. From the meeting, I was provided contact information, guidance, and suggestions for my project development.
Alignment with Standards: My attendance at the Principals’ Meeting shows the effort made by Raleigh County Schools to inform and prepare school leadership with training opportunities and professional growth and networking.
District Leadership Team Meeting (.docx) 0.05mb NELP Standard 1: Mission, Vision, and Improvement – Collaboratively lead, design, and implement a school mission, vision, and process for continuous improvement that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.
Part of my accountability protocol project has dealt with student attendance, and its effects on our local high school graduation rate. I was able to meet with the county attendance director, our county assistant superintendent, my mentor, and our school attendance team. I was also fortunate to meet and discuss with principals at our local elementary and middle school levels. Conversation directed our attention to focus on various incentive ideas we could use to encourage students to have better attendance. Ongoing use of data for this ninth-grade cohort can be utilized over the next few years to make sure we are on track to achieve the goal, we set of improving the graduation rate. Parts of the program involved community, use of technology, and allowing all stakeholders to have a say in some of the plans we would make for incentives.
Alignment with Standards: This aligns with NELP Standard #1 because it engages and involves improvement upon a critical focus of our school mission, which is to develop students who are prepared to become valuable citizens. The focus on attendance improvement will prove to be valuable in the process of improving the graduation rate of the cohort over the next three years and will be readily accessible for data review and analysis of its effectiveness.
240504093949_aim.pdf (.pdf) 2.25mb United States Army and West Virginia Army National Guard
Served in Operation Iraqi Freedom II in 2003-2005
M1 Armor crewman, Gunner, Team Leader, Combat Life Saver certified
Completed Raleigh County Schools Aspiring Principals Academy-2023
Completed FEMA Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium,
Crisis Management for School Based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement and Local School Systems
Professional Teaching Certifications:
Physical Education
Health Education
Special Education, Multi-Cat (LD/MI/BD)
Athletic Administrator at Shady Spring High School
My journey at Liberty University through this master’s program has taken me far from the traditional route, much like my full educational process. I had begun taking classes back in 2010, when I was teaching in the Special Education classroom and in a different school location than my current position. I was fortunate to have completed all required coursework in sequence and was well set to complete the final internship and make my entrance into the administrative role in my county. But change inevitably began to occur. I changed jobs, took on more athletic responsibilities, had two children grow up and take on their own busy lives, and slowly I put my degree completion on the back burner for a while.
During this period of change and transition, I now have collected 19 years of teaching experience. I have more than 20 years of athletic coaching experience at the secondary levels. I have worked as an athletic administrator for the past six years and have been blessed to have gained valuable insight and experience in school finance, school law, fiscal operations, policy and procedure, and many other facets of day-to-day school organization and operations. This experience has prepared me in many ways for school leadership and has once again sparked my interest in completing the M.Ed. Supervision and Administration program and taking on my next role of administration within the school system.
From January until now, I have experienced and learned so much. I have worked alongside my mentor on matters related to our school. I have engaged with our leadership team to evaluate ways to improve our graduation rate. I was able to meet with our county assistant superintendent and county attendance director to discuss and help implement attendance programs and analyze school and county data sources. I got experience working with our county transportation director and learned a great deal regarding the process of assigning drivers, routes, and extracurricular activities. I met with principals at the elementary and middle school levels, former principals, agency representatives, special education services, and even with our office of personnel to learn as much as possible for a successful internship and beyond. I am thankful for the turns in my journey. Moreso, I’m thankful that God has allowed me to get to here on the time He intended. All parts of the ride have helped prepare me for the role and responsibilities that may come my way.
Course Benchmark: For this project, I was allowed the opportunity to participate in Raleigh County Schools’ Aspiring Principals Leadership Academy and complete a 48-hour program geared toward helping future administrative professionals learn from the experience of current leadership. This program was very in-depth and allowed me to gain valuable insight into several areas of our county school system including transportation, pupil services, attendance, special education services, child nutrition, personnel, and maintenance.
Alignment with Standards: This project helped demonstrate my competency of NELP Standard #6 Operations and Management, NELP Standard #7: Policy, Governance, and Advocacy, and NELP Standard #8: Internship by allowing me the opportunity to meet with and discuss policy and procedures with school leadership from throughout Raleigh County Schools. I was thankful to have been exposed to so many departments and learn more about the role of each.
Academic Achievement: This benchmark opportunity helped me grow as a prospective school leader and through the introduction to the support services available, I now have a greater knowledge of the resources and programs available to help me find solutions for my future students and staff.
Course Benchmark: For this benchmark project, I chose to learn more about Raleigh County’s teacher evaluation process, as it provides the framework for supervising teacher preparation, instruction, and evaluation processes. Supervising administrators complete observations (both direct and indirect) of all educators in the classroom and non-classroom setting, complete a performance review, and then meet with the teacher to review and discuss the findings.
Alignment with Standards: This project helped demonstrate my competency of NELP Standard #2: Ethics and Professional Norms, NELP Standard #4: Learning and Instruction, and NELP Standard #6: Operations and Management by learning more about county policy, participating in the evaluation procedures process, and by gaining valuable insight into the ideology of monitoring and evaluating professionals.
Academic Achievement: By following the evaluation guidance, the evaluation rubric, and providing specific feedback to teachers, I will be better prepared to improve teacher performance and help increase student academic achievement and performance.
Course Benchmark: As part of the school level Leadership Team, I have participated in several meetings over the past few years. One area we have collaboratively engaged was how to effectively recognize and honor students for academic achievement and accomplishments. We were able to agree to two events and were able to make them both happen with great success and participation. One event was a Signing Night. In the same fashion we would allow athletes receiving athletic offers and scholarships, we had a signing event for any senior that has been accepted to an institution of higher learning, a commitment to one of the military services, and also for accomplishing a certification through our Academy of Careers and Technology in numerous vocational fields. A second event was a Student Showcase. All departments were tasked with providing highlighted student work and completed projects to view. Community and families were welcomed to come and see the impressive work of our students and to meet the teachers providing the instruction and inspiration.
Alignment with Standards: This benchmark project helped me to demonstrate competency in NELP Standard #1: Mission, Vision, and Improvement, in NELP Standard #3 Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness, and in NELP Standard #5: Community and External Leadership by combining goal setting of the school with inclusion of all students and the community in order to honor our students and staff.
Academic Achievement: This allows students from all walks of life, both career-oriented or college bound to be shown off and honored for their hard work, personal decision-making, and choices they have made for their lives beyond high school.
Course Benchmark: Our district requires annual meetings of our Local Schools Improvement Committee (LSIC) that is made up of administrators, teachers, parents, students, board members, and community partners and leaders. This committee helps to prioritize projects, curricular concerns, facilities needs and improvements, and allows all stakeholders the opportunity to share their voice and thoughts to be a part of the process. I was able to help plan the meeting and share input from the perspective of a parent, as an educator, and as a potential school leader and administrator. This was an eye-opening process, and I was thankful to have been able to see and share so many perspectives in pursuit of improvement.
Alignment with Standards: I believe this project displays our commitment to (NELP Standard #4: Learning and Instruction, NELP Standard #1: Mission, Vision, and Improvement, and NELP Standard #5: Community and External Leadership) each of our stakeholders and demonstrates the value we place on the opinions and needs of the community. The final result of the meeting aligns with our mission of improvement for our students and families.
Academic Achievement: Curricular issues and opportunities for growth and achievement are discussed and planned. These contributions lead to the development and implement changes to policy, leading to improved/increased academic achievement.
Course Benchmark: Working with our administration and finance officer, I worked to adjust and implement a General Athletic Gate financial account that benefits all athletic programs. There has been a major imbalance of funding for some of our 19 programs. We worked to make all groups financially responsible and prepared without one or two programs dominating the finances. All program gate money is collected and put into a General Athletic Gate account. All team transportation money, officials’ fees, tournament entry fees, and anything that is required to play (balls, field equipment, safety equipment, etc.) is covered and the burden is lessened for our programs. Any wanted items would be purchased by the teams. We felt this was the most equitable and fair way to help out. It has proven very valuable!
Alignment with Standards: The development of this account program shows the commitment to equity (NELP Standard #3- Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness) that we have implemented to assist all athletic programs in our building. It demonstrates the work our administration was willing to put in to improve stability (NELP Standard #6: Operations and Management) for our smaller, less financially capable programs. It also helps identify our commitment to (NELP Standard #7: Building Professional Capacity) by allowing input and team decision-making from our coaches, administrators, and finance officer.
Academic Achievement: I believe this commitment to equity and fairness demonstrates my ability to see an issue and work to find a peaceful and reasonable solution. As we provide better financial solutions, our student-athletes are all better prepared and equipped for their individual sport and season. This program has allowed all programs the opportunity to highlight historical data and program information, as well as help supply the needed equipment, uniforms, and play facilities they all needed.
Name of Association:
National Association of Secondary School Principals
Acronym for Association: NASSP
Date of Initial Membership: May 6, 2024
Description of Association: The National Association of Secondary School Principals is a professional organization for middle and high school level principals, assistant principals, and other school leaders that is developing a generation of school leaders to reimagine and rebuild an educational system to meet every student’s needs by providing equitable access and opportunity. The organization serves school and student leaders through Community, Leading and Learning, Elevation, Advocacy, and Recognition.
Association’s Website: nassp.org
Level of Activity/Involvement in the Association: Associate member
West Virginia Secondary Schools Athletic Commission
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• Varsity Softball, Head Coach, • Middle School Football, Offensive Coordinator, • Varsity Football, Offensive Coordinator, |
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• Varsity Baseball, Head Coach, |
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• Middle School Wrestling, Assistant Coach, • Middle School Football, Assistant Coach,
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West Virginia Army National Guard
Company C, 1/150th Armor Regiment
Beckley, West Virginia
July 1996-July 2005
Sergeant, E-5
Gunner, M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank
1999 Enlisted Battalion Soldier of the Year
Served in Mandali, Balad Ruz, and Samarra, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom II from September 2003- February 2005.
30th Heavy Separate Brigade (Old Hickory)
1st Infantry Division (Big Red One)
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