Paula Ford, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, is the 2019 Region XIX Business Services Administrator of the Year. In addition, Region XIX chose Ms. Ford to advance to this year's state ACSA honors, where she has reached the final round of consideration and could be 1 of 25 individual statewide winners announced in April.
At JUSD, Ms. Ford manages a wide range of district functions, including the budget, finances, and payroll; purchasing and contracts; district technology, including devices, infrastructure, and training; and student transportation and school meals. She has served JUSD since 1999, as a teacher, Coordinator of Education Technology, Director of Education-Information Technology, and, since 2013, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services. Ms. Ford was also named 2016 Classified Administrator of the Year by the Western Riverside County Association of School Managers, and the JUSD technology team she oversees has earned a range of recent honors.
ACSA, which serves more than 17,000 California educators, has recognized Ms. Ford for exemplary school leadership and a passion for student learning without limits. She will be among those honored on May 1st during the ACSA Region XIX Spring Celebration at the Riverside Convention Center.
Below is a snapshot of our winner's approach to school leadership, in her own words via excerpts from her responses to ACSA questions.
On School Culture
School/district culture is often overlooked or taken for granted. For this reason, district leaders must communicate the organization's vision and purpose. Whether a bus driver, custodian, school secretary, accountant, or teacher, everyone in the organization contributes to the purpose: student learning.
My business services team promotes culture through open dialogue around the what and why — what we are doing to support student learning and staff professional growth and why we are doing it. By understanding the what and why, staff can focus on the how. How can behaviors support the district's purpose? How can we provide culturally aligned growth opportunities? These questions led to the creation of an annual business services professional growth conference, where staff collaborate, network, and learn best practices centered on district support functions. We are able to build a sustainable culture when we have knowledgeable staff who understand, believe, and behave in ways that support the district's promise.
On Ethics and Leadership
Each day, I make a conscious effort to approach every person, problem, or situation with integrity and honesty. I truly believe in our promise — empowering every child to unlock their potential — to drive our actions and decisions. As such, it is my responsibility to lead by example in both my professional and personal life.
I believe a leader is always a learner, and must be humble and open-minded. As John Wooden said, “The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example." I never set out to lead, but I've always wanted to serve people, which is how I found myself in the education business. For all the people whom I have the honor of leading, I strive to positively impact their own professional growth by recognizing their abilities and providing multiple opportunities to empower, challenge, and inspire them to develop their own personal code of ethics and leadership style.
On Innovation
The success of our students requires all stakeholders to be focused on our promise and moving in the same direction. When faced with issues or problems — for example, lack of funds, support or community resources — I seek input and truly listen to the concerns.
Before we can find a solution, I need to fully understand the issue or problem from every perspective. I've found that creative and innovative solutions, whether financial or programmatic, are possible when I'm honest about the issue or problem, open to change, willing to take or let others take risks, learn from mistakes, and make collaboration a key element in my leadership. I also recognize that when faced with a problem or issue, reaching beyond the walls of JUSD to explore best practices is imperative. I give myself and my staff the opportunities to consider solutions outside of the status quo and make sure to recognize and celebrate their successes.
