Tabitha Gay

Professional Portfolio Executive Summary

The following electronic portfolio is just a small example of my experience and
enthusiasm for educational leadership. This portfolio contains examples of my graduate work
obtained through Central Michigan University within their Educational Leadership program. My
resume denotes a quick overview of my professional experiences over the years, that continue to
evolve and grow as I continue to obtain further experience within the leadership realm. This
summary contains my philosophy as pertaining to educational leadership, internship experience,
coursework overview, and my goals for the future leadership endeavors.
I am passionate about education and helping to insure students are receiving the best
education possible. This is clearly demonstrated through my work with the International
Baccalaureate Program. As a category one trained teacher, I was able to teach big ideas to a
diverse group of students in such a way that all students were able to understand. This
differentiation with real world application has helped all of my students along the way.
During my internship experience at an elementary school in northwestern Arizona, I was
able to gain real life application of skills to further prepare me for a future in educational
leadership. Throughout this experience I was able to collaborate and mentor new staff members,
review and implement discipline policies, attend weekly administration meetings, and develop
sessions to further support student learning by increasing parent involvement. Being involved in
the daily workings of the school further cemented what a principal is and should be: an
instructional leader.
Throughout my coursework within the Masters Programs my ideas on what it means to
be an educational leader in the 21st Century have evolved. Students are at the heart of the school

Tabitha Gay

and its the principals duty to create a healthy environment in which they can learn and grow.
This is accomplished by being a strong presence within the school. A principal should be visible
to parents, teachers, and students. Knowing students by name and knowing their strengths is the
mark of an extraordinary principal.
In todays fast paced school system with standards growing in rigor and relevance, so
must the leaders of the school. The job of any school principal is to be the instructional leader
within the school. It is imperative that the one leading be apprised of the happenings with in their
school and attend to the number one priority: student achievement. To do so, it is understood that
a school leader must have many facets and skills to successfully achieve school and leadership
success. These skills include collaboration, team work, integrity, motivation and above all
balance. It is my belief that balancing the tasks of manager and instructional leader will create
success.
Along with this philosophy of instructional leadership comprised of integrity and team
work for the success of all students, my coursework outlines the knowledge base I have to
achieve such goals. Throughout my course work, I have been privileged enough to attain
knowledge in Public School Law, Public Relations, Program Evaluation and many more. These
are further shared under the Standards tabs. Samples of work are also available.
Some examples that will be found within this portfolio include my legal brochure created
to understand laws regarding corporal punishment, SWOT analysis, and a district wide
technology plan. All of these and many others exemplify the type of work and ideas I have for
continued student achievement and improvement.

Tabitha Gay

Finally, it is my goal as a graduate of the Central Michigan University Masters of Arts in

Educational Leadership, to work as a building principal were I can apply all of the skills and
knowledge attained throughout their rigorous program. I have previously worked as an
Elementary Coordinator for a K-12 Charter School and would like to take the tools I learned
from that experience and the knowledge from the courses to expand my repertoire to lead an
entire building.