Xceed Preparatory Academy is a Cognia/AdvancED accredited network of private schools serving grades 6-12. The Xceed model provides personalization, online curriculum, flexible schedules and an attentive, in-person, academic staff preparing students for college and beyond. Each day is designed to meet the learning needs and interests of each student in a safe and supportive learning environment so that our school motto, "Own Your Day," is more than just a slogan. There are currently five schools in Xceed's portfolio. Mission:Xceed Preparatory Academy prepares students for college and beyond using personalized learning approaches for students who want flexibility to pursue their own interests and talents in a supportive, innovative environment.https://xceedprep.org/https://xceedprep.org/locations-weston-fl/

https://xceedprep.org/

I was chosen by The Gates Scholarship to interview candidates who have proven to be among the top 1% of high school seniors in the United States in scholarship, community service, character and integrity.

It was an honor and privilege to serve as a principal at the Central and East Campuses in the City of Pembroke Pines Charter School System. As a principal, I was responsible for all aspects of my assigned school, which included personnel, curriculum, budgeting, safety and supervision, public relations and being the lead ombudsman for the best interests of my students. The PPCS system is a municipally operated nonprofit charter school district located in Broward County, Florida. The PPCS system has received national recognition in numerous educational arenas. In 2009, the United States Department of Education recognized the City of Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School (West and Central) as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, the highest and most prestigious award a school can earn. In 2013 and 2018 the PPCS system earned full district and school level accreditation from AdvancED, the international standard bearer in school accreditation. PPCS students annually outperform their counterparts in Broward County and the State of Florida on mandated student achievement measurement instruments. The entire K-12 PPCS system has earned the distinction of being rated as "A" schools by the State of Florida.

While at SBHS I completed the requirements of the ASAP Intern Principal program I began at TTMS. My duties included being the administrator for a pilot program known as "The Academy." This program provided extra assistance and support for the lowest 25% of the freshman class in English and math. Additionally, I supervised the English department teachers, served as the transportation liaison, and handled discipline issues for my assigned students. Like all school based administrators, I supervised students during arrival, dismissal, lunch, class changes, and at school events such as athletics and performances. I continued to serve the District's HR department as a mentor and guide in the LEAD program for aspiring school administrators.

I earned a promotion to become an assistant principal after my time at Nova. My duties at TTMS included being the transportation liaison and the AP in charge of facilities. Additionally, I created and implemented the master schedule for TTMS. While at TTMS, I played an important role in the school's SACS accreditation renewal. I was responsible for the supervision and discipline of my assigned students, I evaluated the teachers on the 8th grade team. I was accepted into the intern principal program and was placed in a pilot program known as the Accelerated School Administrator Program (ASAP). This program, funded by a grant from the Annenberg Foundation, took a cadre of aspiring principals to complete and demonstrate mastery of the Florida Principal Competencies in roughly half the time of the traditional program. I also served the District's HR department as a mentor and guide in the LEAD program for aspiring school administrators.

This teacher-on-task assignment was created as a part of the district's redesign of the Nova Schools. The responsibilities included overseeing guidance and counseling, facilitating parent / teacher conferences, handling student discipline issues, and the supervision of students during arrival, dismissal, lunch, and class changes. Additionally, the position entailed communication of innovative educational strategies taking place at NHS, throughout Broward County, Florida, and the nation to school stakeholders. Although it was not the originally intended outcome, the Team Leader position proved to be a tremendous training ground for aspiring school administrators. Most of us who served in this position went on to become school principals or assistant principals.

My professional career in education began at Nova High School as a social studies teacher. Over the years, I taught my students world history, American history, economics, law studies, and American government. Nova served as a research and development laboratory and participated in the innovative Coalition of Essential Schools project created by Dr. Ted Sizer as described in his landmark book "Horace's Compromise." While teaching in this remarkable program, I worked collaboratively with colleagues from the English and humanities departments with a shared group of students. Many of my current thoughts on education are the result of participating in this program.I am still extremely proud of spearheading Nova's implementation of the College Board's Advanced Placement American Government and Politics course. Upon successful completion of this course, students earned college credits while still in high school. After graduating from Nova, many of the students matriculated to world class institutions of higher learning such as Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Princeton, Florida State, Penn, Brown, Duke, Stanford, and Michigan. One of the highlights of my career was being chosen as a faculty consultant by the College Board for the AP American Government and Politics exam where I was able to interact with prominent political scientists and colleagues from across the nation.As a lifelong baseball fanatic, I had the great fortune to be a part of the Nova baseball program as the assistant coach. During my tenure the team won two district championships, one regional championship, one sectional championship, and made one trip to the state final four. I am very proud to see the young men I coached become successful grown men with outstanding careers and families of their own. My service earned me the distinction of being inducted as a member of the Nova Baseball Hall of Fame.