Leah Breen Email & Phone Number

Strategic Planning: Collaborate with university leadership to develop and implement a strategic plan for charter school initiatives aligned with the university's mission and goals. Charter School Oversight: Provide oversight and support to charter schools affiliated with the university, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and quality standards.Resource Allocation: Manage the allocation of resources, including budgetary planning and monitoring, to support charter school initiatives and meet strategic objectives.Policy Development: Stay informed about charter school policies, legislation, and best practices, and provide guidance to charter schools on policy compliance and implementation.Academic Support: Collaborate with university faculty and staff to provide academic support and professional development opportunities for charter school personnel, ensuring high-quality educational programs.Performance Evaluation: Develop and implement evaluation processes to assess the performance and effectiveness of charter schools, monitoring academic outcomes, student achievement, and overall program quality.Community Engagement: Engage with the local community, policymakers, and education stakeholders to promote awareness of charter school initiatives and foster positive relationships.Research and Evaluation: Support research and evaluation efforts related to charter school performance, effectiveness, and innovative practices, and utilize data to inform decision-making and improvement efforts.Crisis Management: Provide leadership and support in times of crisis or emergencies affecting charter schools, ensuring effective communication, coordination, and problem-solving.Team Leadership: Supervise and support a team of professionals involved in charter school initiatives, providing guidance, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.

Evaluating and increasing the academic and organizational performance of schools chartered by the university, and the management of strategic relationships with people and organizations, to support increased school performance.

Drove collaboration and open communication to support Michigan educator training, certification, assessment, recruitment, retention, evaluation, equity, and diversity. Developed and tracked $1B in annual grant funds to K - 12.• Collaborated with legislative representatives, regional service agencies, and key policy stakeholders to establish effective policies, define standards, and communicate essential information.• Drafted legislation and offered legislative testimony to increase state funding in support of education, resulting in a $50M annual line item in the Governor's 2022 proposed budget for quality teacher mentoring and onboarding.• Owned product responsibility and led the IT team to maintain a 400K user data system covering educator credential data and interfaces with the Center for Educational Performance and Information data systems.• Recognized as the Department’s educator workforce expert while working closely with national stakeholders, local representatives, and legislative members. Answered print, radio, and television media requests.• Led process improvement, change management, and quality oversight for data infrastructure and collection to optimize data analysis and improve education. Served as signatory and reviewer of SEA data-sharing agreements for educator workforce data.• Authored a strategic Michigan State research initiative to increase workforce diversity, quantity, and quality. Monitored annual performance objectives and drafted monthly reports to track progress.• Served as the as the SEA champion of the Midwest Alliance to Improve Teacher Preparation and facilitate strategic partnerships leading to research funding.• Compiled/assessed data year round to draft annual and ad hoc reports for the State Board of Education, State legislature, and the United States Department of Education.• Acted as the State liaison on all matters concerning the Governor's Educator Advisory Council.

Administered/oversaw $1Bn+ in federal grant programs, large-scale projects, Human Resource functions, budgeting, and professional development.

Monitored site visits, reviewed/administered grants, and offered technical assistance to schools and districts regarding State and Federal programs, student progress, and school improvement initiatives.Implemented State programs through superior Project Management practices to develop K-12 training. Compiled/evaluated data to drive change management, ensure compliance, launch a complaint resolution process, and gauge program progress.

Generated/collected data through on-site visits. Authored technical reports/documents, investigated compliance issues, audited curriculum, and amended contracts to ensure exceptional services. Drafted recommendations, feedback, and technical assistance methodologies to K-12 school improvement teams and school boards.

Master'S, Educational Administration

Bachelor'S, Elementary Education