Dr. Amaal Awadalla, a former assistant superintendent and a designer and facilitator of SEA-LEADS (the Region 15 Comprehensive Center’s cross-state educational agency leadership development network) is now deputy director of the Region 2 Comprehensive Center (R2CC). Funded by the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Comprehensive Center Network, R2CC provides capacity-building technical assistance, content expertise, and other services to state educational agencies and their regional and local constituents in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island.

Awadalla has 24 years of experience in public school systems, including teaching in both urban and suburban school districts and serving in administrative positions in a regional educational service agency and in a school district.

For the last two years, she served on the R2CC leadership team as a senior state technical assistance specialist. In that role, she worked closely with key state leaders to identify high-leverage problems and root causes, oversaw development of plans to support states through state and regional projects, and provided professional learning, coaching, consultation, and technical assistance.

“I hope to continue to make sure that our state partners and our comprehensive center staff are supported with the partnership, tools, and resources they need,” said Awadalla. “Even though states and CCs (comprehensive centers) are far from classrooms, every policy, every resource can leverage and impact districts, schools, teachers, and students.”

In her prior role as assistant superintendent at the Fleetwood Area School District in Pennsylvania, Awadalla led the development of K–12 curriculum and assessments, professional learning plans, instructional technology resources, the district’s virtual school program, and the educator effectiveness model. Awadalla also supervised the English as a Second Language program, as well as the instructional leadership team, and started the first student equity committee in the district.

Among the Fleetwood Area School District’s various accomplishments during Awadalla’s nine-year tenure are the following:

  • After restructuring elementary literacy instruction, which included introducing new scheduling, interventions, and evidence-based practices, the district saw an increase in the number of students performing at grade level.
  • Following new K–12 math curriculum and professional learning for all teachers, the district’s high school math scores surged, with its high school rising to the top five in the county in math and its SAT scores climbing higher than the state average. In addition, fewer college-entering students from the district needed remedial math.
  • Through the implementation of data meetings and professional learning communities, the district transformed school site managers into instructional leaders.

“Amaal’s recent district-level leadership gives her the practical ability to know how ideas and initiatives at the state level may—or may not—play out when they reach the LEA (local education agency) level,” noted Sarah Barzee, director of R2CC. “She has an eye toward how districts and schools will receive information and, importantly, whether state-level tools and resources are sufficiently coherent, clear, and actionable.”

A skilled facilitator for multiple regional comprehensive centers, Awadalla also brings deep experience developing professional learning for and coaching state and district leaders, including state education agency leaders across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah who participate in SEA-LEADS, as well as those in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island with whom R2CC partners.

Awadalla is currently designing and facilitating professional learning and coaching to support instructional leaders in implementing instructional frameworks across a large urban district. In addition, she is a co-lead of a statewide project addressing inequities across schools of choice.

“When we need an instructional leader, we look to Amaal—and we are often tapping her for leadership coaching,” said Barzee, who noted that Awadalla recently launched an effort to build the capacity of R2CC staff to apply implementation science. “In addition, she is a delight to work with. She always gets the job done, and done well.”

Awadalla says relationships are the through line of her professional experiences. “People need to be heard. Everyone brings different skill sets. I need to really think about where they are, then pull on their strengths to help them grow.”

An expert in curriculum development, effective literacy instruction, and systems work, as assistant superintendent, Awadalla led a systems analysis to identify and address disproportionality across various demographic groups. The analysis entailed revising curriculum, enrollment criteria, communications, and professional learning focused on culturally responsive practices in her previous district.

“I see this work as being all about connecting with kids, even from the state level. There are kids that do not have all the structures or support systems in place. We need to do everything we can to educate the next generation. It’s not just reading and writing—it’s humanity.”

Previously a middle school science teacher in New York, Awadalla holds an EdD in educational leadership from Delaware Valley University, Pennsylvania, an MS in secondary science education from Lehman College, New York, and a BS in biology from Fordham University, New York. She also serves as an adjunct professor teaching doctoral courses in educational leadership and administration at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit the Region 2 Comprehensive Center.

 

The contents of this release were developed by the Region 2 Comprehensive Center. The Region 2 Comprehensive Center is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.