Walt Sutterlin

E-Mail: walt@sutterlearn.com

   

Professional Target                                                                                                             _________

To serve as instructional leader in a suburban school district in mid-Michigan.  To use my knowledge and skills in process management, relationship building, and change management to rethink traditional school structures for improved student achievement. To work with colleagues who value children, self-reflection and learning in an organization which expects growth and continuous improvement.

Education                                                                                                                                  _________

Michigan State University
Master of Arts in K-12 Administration

Administrative License #: SA0000000782586


East Lansing, MI
May 2011
GPA 4.0
Oakland University
Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
Highly Qualified to Teach K-8
Endorsements in:   Major – Social Studies (RX), Grades 6 - 8

                             Minor – Language Arts (BX), Grades 6 - 8
Professional Teaching License #: PF0000000809120

Rochester, MI
December 2006
GPA 3.87



Center for Prehospital Medicine

North Carolina Paramedic Licensure
Charlotte, NC
December 1998

Values & Beliefs______                                                                                                        _________

My work as a teacher-leader is guided and informed by the following core beliefs and values:

  • Children’s needs…emotional, social, academic…are the reason for our work and must come first in all of our planning, decision making, and problem solving.
  •  Servant leadership is a virtue of improving oneself through improving others.
  • Continuous improvement of schools as systems is the shared expectation, resulting in improved student outcomes, employee engagement, community satisfaction, and efficiency.
  •  Lifelong learning of, and by, individuals is nonnegotiable to contribute to society in proactive, meaningful ways.
  

Professional Skills_____                                                                                                        

  • Manipulate and analyze large data sets
  • Develop SMART goals based on examination of multiple inputs
  • Build relationships among varieties of stakeholders
  • Maintain big-picture view, while respecting ground-level challenges
  • Develop agendas and facilitate actionable decisions

 
Professional Accomplishments                                                                                   ____________
  • Created and delivered district-wide, K-12 training for Illuminate Education data warehouse and assessment system
  • Co-authored and implemented Collaborative Professional Learning model for job-embedded professional development and coaching across eight buildings.
  • Created protocol for principals and teachers to identify and use assessment reports efficiently and effectively to improve student achievement
  • Authored and promoted district-wide positive behavior escalation plan with complementary classroom and school data collection tool
  • Partnered with Math Curriculum Director to write district-wide, grade-level math assessments
  • Appointed by Superintendent to serve on interview committee to select Holt Public Schools' Executive Director of Curriculum and Professional Development 
  • Launched  monthly, cross-district, grade-level Professional Learning Community
  • Researched benefits of, and implemented team-teaching, multi-age classroom model of conjoined third/fourth grade students
  • Wrote grants and developed a podcasting reading program for first-grade students' fluency improvement 
  • Created Fourth-Grade Reading Buddy program to enhance reading practice of younger students  
  • Member of school and district-wide FINO (Failure Is Not an Option) school-improvement teams  
  • For an expanded list of accomplishments, please visit: http://www.sutterlearn.com/plans.html

Professional Experience                                                                                                        _______

   

3/15 - Present




1/14 - 6/14









6/11 - 3/15










8/07 - 6/11
Holt Public Schools – Holt, MI
Principal, Washington Woods Middle School
  • Instructional leader for 456 fifth and sixth grade students, 27 teaching, and 25 support staff
  • Evaluate and improve established PBIS system and MTSS structures
  • Daily operations of a middle school with wide central community exposure
Interim Principal, Dimondale Elementary
  • Instructional leader for 275 K-4 students, 12 teaching, and 9 support staff
  • Maintain and grow established PBIS system
  • Lead and facilitate building-leadership team within MTSS structure
  • Daily operations serving an elementary community
  Transformational/Instructional Coach
  • Assess and improve systemic K-12 instruction systemically
  • Implement and evaluate core K-6 curriculum and intervention programs
  • Cognitive coaching with K-6 principals and teachers to establish, maintain, and alter vision of educational success
  • Instructional coaching with K-6 teachers to develop job-embedded professional learning
   Multi-Age Elementary Teacher, 3rd/4th Grade, Dimondale Elementary  
  • Plan for, guide and assess self-contained classroom
 
  • Focus on needs of each individual student:
    • Identifying and adjusting curriculum for at-risk learners
    • Incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy into lessons and discussions
    • Demonstrate effective, proactive classroom management
  • Apply differentiated instruction:
    • Leveraging multiple intelligences
    • Addressing varied student ability levels
    • Developing intrinsic motivation
  • Adhere and enhance quality district curriculum:
    • Facilitate guided reading groups and independent instruction for all ability levels 
    • Teach the writing process using the Lucy Calkins curriculum model
    • Use and adapt lessons from "Investigations" math curriculum, by Pearson and "Everday Mathematics" by the University of Chicago
    • Utilize Battle Creek Area Math & Science Center kits and activities
    • Grade-wide instruction of the Michigan Model health education program
  • Communicate with parents and colleagues through web site, conferences, phone calls and newsletters:
    • Maintenance of progress reports and report cards
    • Facilitate parent-teacher conferences
    • Ongoing electronic communication and very accessible

10/06 - 06/07
1/06 - 12/06

Troy School District – Troy, MI
  Substitute Teacher, 5th Grade, Troy Union Elementary  
  Student Teacher, 5th Grade, Troy Union Elementary

  • Planned for, guided, and assessed 27 fifth-grade students
  • Developed a working knowledge for teaching the writing process
  • Used and adapted lessons from Chicago Everyday Mathematics
  • Leveraged FOSS hands-on science teaching activities
  • Helped to identify and adjusted curriculum for at-risk learners
  • Communicated with parents through conferences, phone calls and newsletters
  • Attended staff development and school-improvement meetings
  • Completed progress reports and report cards
  • Participated and co-facilitated parent-teacher conferences
  • Demonstrated effective, proactive classroom management
  • Created and implemented a variety of authentic classroom activities and assessments

9/05 - 11/05

Ferndale School District – Ferndale, MI (40 hours)
  Field Intern, 6th Grade, Coolidge Intermediate

  • Created and taught science lessons on water pollution and volcanoes

9/05 - 11/05

Lake Orion Schools – Lake Orion, MI (20 hours)
  Field Intern, 1st and 7th Grades, Moose Tree Science Preserve

  • Delivered interactive Earth science explorations of ground water, soil, apples and honey; led nature walks and educational games

1/05 - 5/05

Detroit Public Schools – Detroit, MI (40 hours)
  Field Intern, 5th Grade, Detroit Edison Public School Academy

  • Created case study on social implications faced by disadvantaged students

9/04 - 12/04

Pontiac School District – Pontiac, MI (40 hours)
  Field Intern, 1st Grade, LeBaron Elementary

  • Assisted in delivery of Success For All reading program
  • Experienced school-wide implementation of Tribes program
  • Exposed to a large population of English Language Learners

1/04 - 4/04

Ferndale School District – Ferndale, MI (40 hours)
  Field Intern, Reading First (3rd - 5th), Wilson Elementary

  • Assisted in delivery of Reading First reading program in multiple grades

Volunteer Activity                                                                                                                       _____ 

7/09 – Present

Holt First Presbyterian Church
  Youth & Children’s Musical Accompanist

         Holt, MI

1/10 – 5/10

Village Summit Community Center
   Organized monthly supply collection and volunteer workday

Lansing, MI

1/09 – 5/09

United States Peace Corp/Dimondale Elementary
   Organized donation and shipment of school library

Lesotho/South Africa

8/03 - 6/04

Prince of Glory Lutheran Church
  Youth Group Director (Grades 7 - 12)

Madison Heights, MI

2/01 - 2/03

St. Charles & Helena Catholic Church
  Youth Advisor (Grades 7 - 12)

Clio, MI

1/96 - 6/97

Myers Park Presbyterian Church
  Substitute Preschool Teacher

Charlotte, NC

9/94 - 5/97

Myers Park Presbyterian Church
  Jr. High Youth Advisor

Charlotte, NC

9/93 - 5/97

Myers Park Presbyterian Church
  2nd Grade Sunday School Teacher

Charlotte, NC

 Additional Experience                                                                                                            ________ 

12/10 - Present

Sutterlearn.com
  SutterBlog Author
  www.sutterlearn.com/sutterblog

Lansing, MI

8/10 – 11/10

HOPE Foundation
  Chief Blog Author
   www.hopefoundation.org/blog

Lansing, MI

6/00 - 8/07

Carlson Marketing Worldwide         
  Quality Analyst 3/04 - 8/07
  Program Manager 6/00 – 3/04

Troy, MI

9/97 - 10/99

Mecklenburg EMS Agency
  EMT-Paramedic

Charlotte, NC

2/97 - 8/99

Carolina’s Healthcare System
  Emergency Medical Technician

Charlotte, NC

5/96 - 2/97

Myers Park Presbyterian Church
  Interim Recreation Director

Charlotte, NC


Publications & Presentations __________                                                                                                        _________
  • Capital Area Women's Life Magazine, 2014-2015 Editorial Series on Exchange Student Experience
  • Grand Valley State University, Guest Presenter on general educator's role in providing behavioral video support for ASD students, Lexington Hotel, Lansing, MI, June 21, 2011
  • What’s Working In Schools Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 2: A Mission From The Heart, February 2011
  • MEA Voice Magazine: The Best Student, August 2009

Honors & Memberships                                                                                                       ________ 

  • Learning Forward Member, 2009 - Present
  • ASCD Member, 2009 - Present
  • MEA/NEA Member, 2007 - 2015
  • Graduated with honors, Oakland University:      
    • Departmental Honors
    • Golden Key International Honor Society
  • Oakland University Alumni Association Working Student Scholarship Recipient, 2006 
  • Oakland University School of Education Dean’s List for Academics, 2003 - 2006
  • Oakland Community College Dean’s List for Academics, 2001 - 2002
  • Golden Key International Honor Society, 2002 - 2006
  • Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, 2001 - 2002
  • Student Michigan Education Association, 2001 - 2007

Hobbies, Interests_&_Personal_trivia                                                                                     ____
  • Two wonderfully engaging children and a brilliant wife keep me happy and busy
  • Nineteen years, three bands, lots of songs…still learning to play guitar
  •  I bravely taught myself to cross-stitch…while working in a fire station
  • Writing is a passion and strength that finds its way into most everything I do
  • I could never learn enough about the Civil War or Native American Culture

references____________________________                                                                                    ___     

  • Dr. David Hornak, Superintendent, Holt Public Schools
  • Dr. Johnny Scott, Superintendent (Retired), Holt Public Schools
  • Dr. Ruth Riddle, Executive Director of Curriculum and Staff Development, Holt Public Schools
  • Mr. Steve Netzel, Principal, Elliott Elementary School, Holt Public Schools
  • Mrs. Laura Colligan, Ingham Intermediate School District
  • Ms. Nancy Theis, Ingham Intermediate School District
  • Dr. Melissa Usiak, K-12 Administration, Michigan State University
  • Ms. Kari Selleck, Director of Curriculum, Owosso Public Schools
  • Mr. Neal Cronkite, Teacher, Washington Woods Middle School, Holt Public Schools
  • Ms. Jessica Brown, Teacher, Dimondale Elementary School, Holt Public Schools
  • Ms. Denise Shaffer, Teacher, Sycamore Elementary School, Holt Public Schools                                                                                         

                                                                         
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 Updated November 8, 2015

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