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CISC Staff

CISC President
Christopher Wagner

Christopher Wagner is a professor of Educational Leadership, Research and Foundations at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY. He holds a BA from Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN), MA from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Wagner has been a public school teacher, principal (16 years), central office administrator, author and consultant. He served on the board of directors and as president of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals. Wagner has conducted hundreds of School Culture Assessments and has trained over 120 SCA facilitators. He is a popular presenter providing leadership programs for school administrators throughout the U.S. Canada, Mexico, and most recently, in Singapore. He is a Senior Partner with TEAM Associates and Vice President of the National School Improvement Project, Inc.

Consulting Director
Gary Phillips, Ed.D.

Noted author of thirteen books, numerous articles and nationally recognized speaker, Dr. Gary L. Phillips is also founder and president of The National School Improvement Project. Dr. Phillips began his career as a public school teacher and went on to become a principal, university professor and educational consultant. It was during his tenure as a staff member with the Lilly Endowment and Charles Kettering (I/D/E/A) Foundation that Dr. Phillips developed the School Culture Audit, a process for establishing "inside-out" school improvement rather than "add-on" programs. As he states in one of his books, "If people do not improve, programs never will. By improving the school culture, almost any focused program of improvement will see positive results."

School districts and state departments of education have enlisted Dr. Phillips unique process for improving school climate, expanding teaching strategies, promoting higher levels of professional collaboration and improving student achievement by as much as 67% in a two-year period. Dr. Phillips has worked with some of the highest performing schools in the nation. He has also chosen to work with low performing, impoverished schools in Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. He has always been associated with success in these endeavors. Dr. Phillips has been recognized nationally for his pioneering work with at-risk students and alternative schools.

Certified Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer
Janet Tassell, Ph.D.

Janet Lynne Tassell’s association with the Center for Improving School Culture has encompassed the conducting of in-depth school culture assessments for schools at all levels – elementary, middle and high school. Tassell is certified as a lead facilitator and trainer for the Center. She earned all of her academic credentials - a major in Mathematics Education and minor in Gifted Education and her doctorate from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Tassell also holds licensure as an Administrative Specialist. She has worked as a mathematics classroom teacher in both rural and urban schools and served as a central office administrator as Director of Learning and Assessment for a district in Southern Indiana. While there, she was awarded the Armstrong Educator Award from Indiana University. Since Fall 2008, she has been employed by Western Kentucky University in the School of Teacher Education where she works with undergraduate and graduate students. Tassell has been recognized by her university colleagues with the Excellence in Teaching Award (2011) and the Research & Creativity Award (2012).

Certified Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer
Jeff Hawkins

Jeff Hawkins has been associated with the Center for Improving School Culture for over 10 years. He has served as a facilitator and facilitator trainer. Hawkins attained a Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown College in Kentucky and completed graduate and professional licensure degrees from the University of Virginia and Morehead State University. He is currently completing his doctorate at Morehead. Hawkins has worked as a classroom teacher, administrator, Kentucky Artist in Education, and as a Kentucky Distinguished Educator. He is the founding Director of the Appalachian Media Institute, and is currently Executive Director at the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative.

Certified Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer
Amy Melton-Shutt, Ph.D.

Dr. Melton-Shutt received her B.S. and M.A. degrees from Western Kentucky University. She received her doctorate from the University of Louisville as she completed a major school culture study in Kentucky involving 66 schools and over 1300 teachers. Dr. Melton-Shutt understands the importance of a healthy school culture from both a researcher and practitioner point of view. After a successful teaching career, she now serves as a distinguished elementary school principal at Burns Elementary School in Daviess County, Kentucky. Dr. Melton-Shutt has also consulted with a variety of schools working to develop healthier cultures.

Certified Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer
Melissa Biggerstaff

Ms. Biggerstaff received her Bachelor’s and Master's degrees at Western Kentucky University and is currently employed by The Green River Regional Educational Cooperative as the Leadership Division Director. Ms. Biggerstaff began her principal career after serving as an outstanding elementary school teacher for 8 years. Once appointed to a principal position, her school was transformed into one of the top 10 schools in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Her school improvement plan incorporated techniques to strengthen the culture of the school through staff collaboration, collegiality, and efficacy. Ms. Biggerstaff has facilitated school culture assessments and has presented on the topic at state and regional leadership meetings.

For more information, contact Dr. Chris Wagner at chris@schoolculture.net or by phone at
270 791 3088

Copyright © 2012.
Center for Improving School Culture
P.O. Box 737, Cloquet, MN 55720

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