Resume
Janet C. Fowler
EDUCATION
M.A. in Educational Leadership Grand Valley State University (1998)
Elementary Administration Certification (1998)
Michigan Elementary Continuing Certificate with Early Childhood (ZA) Endorsement (1992)
B.S. in Child Development and Teaching Michigan State University (1974)
Michigan Elementary Provisional Certificate with Early Childhood (ZA) Endorsement (1974)
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
8/07 to present: Owner/ Consultant
Quality Training and Resource Planning Specialists, L.L.C. Harbor Springs, Michigan
High quality grant writing, research based technical assistance and innovative training programs for schools and providers of early childhood, family services and parent education
Past/Present Contracts (not inclusive)
• Strategic planning: program assessment, development, and grant writing for : a) National AmeriCorp competition (2013; 2014); b) 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant competition ( 2011; 2012; 2013); c) Even Start Family Literacy Program (2007, 2009, 2010); and Workforce Development (2010)
• Early Head Start Program Assessment and Evaluation: co-investigator with Dr. Robert Wertkin, RTS, in a review of processes, products and outcomes of a EHS program (2011, 2012); design, conduct and analyze surveys, interviews and group inquiries.
• Professional development and training: presenting research based best practices, program assessment strategies and quality implementation indicators on multiple topics, including early childhood math, early literacy, family literacy, home-based instruction, parent involvement, and community collaboration.
• Strategic planning: board development and funding research for the Church of God of the Twin Cities Rural Housing Initiative (2007-2008)
10/05 to 6/10: Trainer and Consultant (part time: 1 to 3 days per month)
Michigan Even Start Family Literacy Programs, Technical Assistance Project, Carmen Ainsworth Schools, Flint, Michigan
• Collaborate with other consultants to design and deliver technical assistance to support state funded Even Start programs in quality improvement
• Serve as primary consultant for two sites; make site visits; co-develop improvement goals
• Attend quarterly consortium meetings: November, February and May
6/06 to 8/08: District Grants Coordinator/Writer; Fine Arts Liaison (part time: 2 ½ days a week)
Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, Charlevoix, Michigan
• Facilitate planning and author the submission of grants for Ameri Corp, Even Start, early childhood, fine arts and other areas for local schools and the Intermediate district
• Facilitate needs assessments, align professional development and training, and collaborate with fine arts teachers (vocal and instrumental music, theatre, visual arts), the Intermediate district and the State of Michigan arts consultant; plan and schedule workshops and meetings
• Co-develop evaluation plans (protocol, instruments, time lines) with program managers and outside evaluator for grant funded programs: early childhood, Even Start, Ameri Corp
• Analyze data; assist in report preparation; co-develop quality improvement plans
6/94 to 6/06: Coordinator of Early Childhood Education (ECE) Programs & Grants (full time)
Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, Charlevoix, Michigan
• Prepare, submit and manage government and foundation grants and contracts for early childhood, family literacy and after school programs
• Hire and train intermediate school district early childhood staff
• Provide leadership and supervision in program assessment and continuous quality improvement activities
• Collaborate with staff from nonprofit organizations, state agencies, local schools and community leaders to design and sustain high quality programs
• Assist local districts in implementation of best practices and adherence to state and foundation regulations and accountability
1/90 to 6/94: ECE Teacher, Home Visitor and Coordinator (full time: split over 3 positions)
Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, Charlevoix, Michigan
• Taught four year olds “at risk” using both the MSRP classroom and home based model; supervised assistant teachers and other home visitors
• Designed and implemented grant writing and funding campaign to grow and sustain early childhood family education programs
Spring 2003, 2005, 2007: Adjunct Professor
Lake Superior State University (LSSU), Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
• Assigned to LSSU Regional Center at North Central Michigan College, Petoskey
• Teach two 300 level courses: Grant writing for Human Services; Education of Exceptional Children
9/87 to 1/90: Children and Family Services Program Director
Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan, Petoskey, Michigan
• Facilitated use of building by multiple programs
• Hired, trained and supervised Children’s Learning Center teachers and aides
• Represented the agency at a variety of local and state work groups and meetings
• Designed, authored the grant and set up Project F.R.E.E., the first state funded four year old preschool program in the county
• Taught parenting classes for ‘at risk’ parents
9/85 to 9/87: After School Teacher; Head Teacher/ Coordinator, Children’s Learning Center
Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan, Petoskey, Michigan
• Hired to design and teach after school and summer program for children ages six to 12
• Moved to Head Teacher position after 8 months
• Planned and taught full day preschool program; supervised teacher assistants
• Provided oversight and supervision to after school and summer programming for school age children
9/76 to 12/85: Early professional positions included
• Program director for a public, for profit child care center serving children 6 weeks to 12
• Executive director for a public not for profit child care center serving children 2 ½ to 12.
• Co-operative nursery school teacher
• Latch-key program leader/teacher
• Infant-toddler playgroup facilitator
• Live in house parent for adjudicated and orphaned youth, ages six to seventeen
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
? Provided high quality instruction and family support services to young children and their parents in a variety of roles: home visitor, infant, toddler and preschool teacher, after school program leader, and play group facilitator. Utilized a strength based, best practices approach to enhance children’s’ cognitive, language, physical and social emotional development and skills; support parents’ role as the child’s most important teacher using play based activities, resource provision, discussion groups and other methods.
? Led the expansion of early education services at Char Em ISD from a single program serving 26 families (Jan. 1990) to a department with the infrastructure, capacity, and partnerships to successfully assess, deliver and evaluate five to six early care and education programs annually, serving more than 500 families in eleven school districts. (June 2006)
? Authored and successfully obtained competitive grants and contracts totaling more than eight million dollars over a 18 year period; including:
a. State: Women’s Resource Center “Project F.R.E.E.” grant; Charlevoix Emmet Great Start grant; 21st Century Community Learning Centers; Northwest Michigan Even Start; Michigan School Readiness Program state aid (now Great Start Readiness) and competitive grant, and others;
b. Federal: 21st Century Community Learning Centers;
c. Foundation: Frey-Skillman-Kellogg Foundations Joining Forces Child Care Demonstration, Frey Foundation B-3 Project, W.K. Kellogg Foundation National School Readiness project
d. Corporate: Dollar General Early Literacy
? Facilitated and led continuous quality improvements in early childhood, child care and family services programs using multiple quantitative and qualitative methods:
a. Instruments: such as Ages and Stages Questionnaire; Denver Developmental Screening; Program Quality Assessment (PQA); Work Sampling System; Youth Program Quality Assessment
b. Standards: including Licensing Rules for Child Care Centers; Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Pre-kindergarten; Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, Birth to 8; Even Start Guide to Quality; National Association for the Education of Young Children Accreditation tool kit; Model Standards for Out of School Time Programs
c. Tools: including Surveys, Semi structured interview, Reflection journals, Portfolios, Checklists; Quarterly and annual quality improvement plans;
d. Engagement: including monthly monitoring, feedback from parent advisory and stakeholder groups, staff quarterly progress ratings and evaluation reports.
? Hired, trained and supervised home visitors, family school liaisons, preschool teachers, and program managers for five early care and education programs serving more than 250 families in eleven school districts; managed two high quality child care centers.
TRAININGS AND PRESENTATIONS
? “Family Literacy” for BHK Child Development Board: presentation to various staff groups; September 2010
? “Mixing in Math” for Great Explorations staff development day; June 2011
? Start Early: Language and Literacy with Children Birth to Three” for State of Michigan Early On Conference, November 2009
? “Interactive Parent-Child Activities for Home and School: A Make It Take it Workshop” for State of Michigan Early On Conference, November 2009
? “Child and Parent Assessment Strategies” for Mi Even Start Technical Assistance Project, Annual Retreat, August 2009
? “Interactive Parent-Child Activities for Home and School: A Make It Take it Workshop” for Supporting Families with Young Children conference, October 2008
? “Start Early: Supporting Language Development of Infants and Toddlers” for Supporting Families with Young Children conference, October 2008
? “Strategies for Quality Home Visits and Parent Partnerships” for Baraga/Houghton Even Start and Head Start Programs, July 2008
? “Start Early: Language and Literacy with Children Birth to Three” for Ottawa County Head Start Staff, March 2008
? “Finding and Accessing Grants” sponsored by the Carmen Ainsworth School District, Flint Mi, February 2008
? “Grant Writing: Tips and Techniques for the Competitive Edge” sponsored by the State of Michigan Technical Assistance Project, December 2007
? On Site Consultation “Infant Toddler Program Development using the Creative Curriculum” for the Orchard View Public Schools Even Start child care staff, September 2007
? “Quality Indicators and Best Practices for Home Based Instruction” National Even Start Conference, San Diego, CA October 2007
? “Small Grants for Classroom Projects” Char Em ISD Regional Professional Development Day, October 2007
? “Beginning the Conversation about Best Practice for Home Based Instruction” Michigan Even Start Conference, August 2007
? Keynote address for the Petoskey High School Child Care Vocational Education program graduation June 2005, June 2003
? “Strategies for Collaborative Development Among Early Childhood Programs” provided by request for the 1) Grand Traverse Early Childhood Consortium, November 2005; 2) Jackson County Early Childhood Team, Spring 2005
? “Collaboration between Head Start and Michigan School Readiness” for the Michigan Department of Education, Technical Assistance Trainings, spring 2005, fall 2004. Co-presenter: Kathleen Kundrat, Head Start Director, Northwest Michigan Human Services
? “Collaboration: What does it look like”: Michigan Early Childhood Collaborative Conference January 2006. Co-presenter: Marcia Miller, Special Projects Coordinator, Northwest Michigan Head Start
? “Comparison of Outcomes between Participants and Non Participants“: National Even Start Conference, Washington D.C. 2004
? “Apples and Oranges: An Overview of Evaluation”: Michigan Early Childhood Collaborative Conference, 2003. Co-presenter: Dr. Robert Wertkin, Senior Partner, Research and Training Specialists, Inc.
? “Implementation of the Home Based Model”: Michigan Early Childhood Collaborative Conference, January 2002 , January1999
? “Connecting Child Care and School”: National Family Resource Coalition Conference, 2002
? “Principles of Family Support”: Michigan Early Childhood Collaborative Conference 2003; Supporting Families with Young Children Conference, 2002; MAEYC State Conference, February 1994
? “Home Visiting Components and Issues” provided by request to the local districts of Washtenaw ISD, August 2001
? “School Community Partnerships Work!”: Michigan Association of School Boards State Conference, October 1996, National Rural Education Association Conference Fall 1992
SELECT AWARDS, SPECIAL PROJECTS AND RECOGNITION
? Invited Member, Child Care Vocational Education Advisory Board, Petoskey Public Schools, 1998 to present
? Invited Member, Char-Em Early On, Early Education and Head Start Community Advisory Team, 1998 to 2006
? Invited Member, Great Parents-Great Start Early Care and Education State Planning Team, 2004
? Chairperson and Facilitator, Michigan Department of Education, Home based Model Review Committee 2004, 1995
? Invited Member, Michigan Department of Education, Legislative Review Committee 1995 to present
? Certificate of Award in honor of active participation and outstanding accomplishments, Joining Forces Child Care Project, March 2002
? Facilitator, liaison between state and northern ISD’s for the ASAP PIE grants, 2001-2002
? Break-out Session Facilitator for the Ready to Succeed Statewide Summit, Fall 2001
? Invited Participant, Ready to Succeed Forum, July 2001
? Facilitator, State contact, Ready to Succeed local effort and focus groups, 2000- 2001
? Michigan Association of School Boards “Excellence in Education” award for the Be-Four School Project, a home based parent-child preschool program, 1996
? Appointed Member, Head Start State Collaboration Project Advisory Board, April 1994 to June 1995
? WK Kellogg Foundation School Readiness Program Certificate of Appreciation to the Be-Four School Project for sharing time, expertise and strong commitment to preparing schools and families for each other, May 1995
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING
Active learner and participant in workshops offered at state and national conferences: (sample listing)
? Supporting Families with Young Children Conference: 2010; 2009, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2003
? Michigan Even Start Annual Conference: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
? Michigan Early Childhood Collaborative Conference: 2006, 2005, 2003, and 1999
? National Even Start Conference, 2005, 2001
? National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference, 2003, 1992
? National Family Resource Coalition (Family Support America) Conference 2002, 1997
? 21st Century Community Learning Centers National Conference at Yale University 2001
? Midwest Association for the Education of Young Children Conference 1998
? MAEYC State Conference Grand Rapids Michigan March 1997, 1991, 1990
? W.K. Kellogg Foundation National School Readiness Conference Milwaukee Wisconsin October 1995
? Michigan Department of Education State Conference: Early Childhood Affair Winter 1992
Increased skills and knowledge completing these skill specific trainings (sample listing)
? Center for Social Emotional Development “Training of Trainers Workshop” on teaching CSFEL Modules in Healthy S/E Development; October 2010
? “Finding Funding with the National Foundation Center Data Base”, National Foundation Center, Cleveland Ohio, November 2008
? Evaluation Outcomes Workshop, Feb 2006
? Implementation of the “Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers”, Fall 2004
? “Bringing Everyone to the Table” Pre-conference training, Family Support America 2002
? Quality Out of School Time School Programs, Schools of the 21st Century Workshop 1999
? 3 R’s of Home Visits Seminar, April 1998
? Principles of Family Support, Pre-Conference Workshop, National Family Resource Coalition, 1997
? Work Sampling Early Childhood Assessment System, Fall 1994
? Implementation of the Bavolek In-Home Nurturing Program, Spring 1992
? Developing and Implementing Individual Family Support Plans, Fall 1992
? Family Centered Intervention, Carl J. Dunst, Oct. 1991
? Top of Michigan Community Training in Parenting Education Curriculums, Dec.1991
REFERENCES: additional references available upon request
Sherry L. Rivard, Finance Director, BHK Child Development Board, 700 Park Avenue, Houghton, Michigan 49931
906 487 6600 ext 114 (work phone)
slrivard@bhkfirst.org (email)
906 370 4780 (cell)
Carolyn Rutledge, Former Technical Assistance Coordinator, Michigan Even Start Family Literacy Programs, Technical Assistance Project, 2576 Maguire Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525
810.730.5766 (cell)
crutledg@carman.k12.mi.us (email)
Dr. Robert Wertkin, President, Research and Training Specialists; Full tenured professor, Western Michigan University, School of Social Work and Inter-Disciplinary Program in Evaluation, Mailing Address: 999 Rawson Lane Vicksburg, Michigan 49097
269.365.2445 (cell)
bwertkin@aol.com (email)