RRamp Up is a Round Rock ISD professional development program for aspiring district leaders. The program is designed to allow employees to learn positive leadership skills like listening with empathy and receiving and giving feedback.
The RRamp Up cohort comprises individuals from various district departments and campuses, who met monthly, but our common thread is our dedication to helping students be successful.
Edie Binns, director of professional development is an invaluable mentor. She encourages thinking outside of the box and reflecting on what good leadership means to each of us. She challenged our beliefs about management and motivated us to seek new opportunities and relationships. I always came away from our meetings thinking about my skills and how I could best help the district and our students.
We experienced exclusive access to compelling and motivating guest speakers, Dr. Laura Carlin-Gonzalez, executive director of teaching and learning, and Dr. Byron Gerard, assistant superintendent of student support services who discussed their non-traditional career paths and how they pursued degrees in higher education. When Kayren Gray, chief, and Farid Razavi, director of Access and Opportunity, respectively presented, we gathered in a circle and shared the most important part of our identities and what public education meant to us. It was my favorite presentation. It was a great bonding exercise and brought the cohort closer together.
RRamp Up was the best professional development I have attended and I feel more capable of pursuing a leadership position. I encourage all Round Rock ISD employees wanting to work on personal development to apply to the program.
Kendall Choate is an administrative assistant for the instructional materials department. She is a Round Rock ISD alumni. Visit the district leadership development website for more information on RRampUp and other aspiring leader programs.