Magdalena Méndez Escudero
Program Administrator, Analyst, and Grant Manager
Objective
My career objective is to facilitate projects and the flow of valid information to advance real solutions to problems, essential to achieve the good quality of life that everyone deserves.
Work Experience
February 2011- present
University of the Sacred Heart, San Juan, PR
Grant Manager
- Maximize the use of the Grant Award funds for the Title V Project, Retaining and Graduating through Technologically-Based Empowerment, in compliance with applicable policies and Regulations.
- Work with the University’s administrative offices’ personnel for the timely use of funds.
- Gather information from the Budget and Finance Offices for Progress Reports.
- Advise the Project Director on the use of the Project’s Budget.
- Assist the Project Director in administrative tasks.
June 2009-May 2010
Puerto Rico Department of Education, Office of Federal Affairs, San Juan, PR
Consultant
- Researched up to date information about K-12 Education, Professional Development for teachers, principals and other school personnel, and NCLB Programs.
- Informed and advised about NCLB Programs and professional development topics to the Office of Federal Affairs’ colleagues, other PRDE personnel, PRDE service providers, representatives of Institutions of Higher Education, and Government personnel.
- Shared leadership in the planning, organization and coordination of Professional Development activities and events for School Directors, Superintendents, Regional Directors and Staff Developers.
- Attended the Title II, Part A, Annual National Conference for State Coordinators.
- Investigated internal processes and recommended solutions to problems.
- Achieved very successful professional development activities for School Directors, Regional Directors, Superintendents, and Staff Developers, under time pressure, dangers of the AH1N1epidemic, and turbulence due to personnel reorganization.
- Also achieved the dissemination of important K-12 Education and professional development information to Governor’s Office representatives, and PRDE key personnel at the Central, Regional, District and school levels.
February 2003– May 2009
Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education, San Juan, PR
Program Analyst and Coordinator of the NCLB Professional Development Program for Teachers and Principals, Title II, Part A, Section 3
- Coordinated the competitive process to award sub grants to eligible partnerships each fiscal year.
- Revised and updated the RFP documents, offered technical assistance on how to prepare proposals, determined the eligible submitted proposals, facilitated the work of the proposals’ external evaluators, evaluated and recommended proposals’ budgets for approval.
- Offered technical assistance to Institutions of Higher Education’s personnel about the NCLB Program, its Non Regulatory Guidelines, and the Agency’s electronic system for statistics and financial reports for the Program.
- Monitored the projects’ progress, achievements and needs.
- Advised project Directors on how to maximize the use of their budgets and the projects’ outcomes, and comply with the Program regulations.
- Analyzed projects’ performance, statistics, fiscal and evaluation reports and prepared reports for the State or Federal Government.
- Advised the external auditors during the agreed upon procedures to the projects.
- Evaluated the agreed upon procedures reports.
- Researched up to date information about K-12 Education, and Professional Development for teachers, principals and other school personnel, and shared information with Project Directors.
- Represented the Agency in meetings at Institutions of Higher Education; the State Higher Education Executive Officers organization, SHEEO, K-16 Collaborative Annual Meeting; the Puerto Rico Department of Education; the United States Department of Education Title II, Part A, Annual National Conference for State Coordinators; and attended the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Annual Conference and other activities.
- Informed colleagues, faculty members of Institutions of Higher Education, and Administrators about the NCLB Program and related topics.
- Achieved success in the Program as documented in external evaluation project reports with evidence of gains in student academic achievement, and in monitoring visits by the federal Program Officer’s team.
Skills and Interests
- Fully bilingual in Spanish and English
- Office XP Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Skype
- Very good interpersonal and communication skills
- Very good analytical, mathematical, and problem solving skills
- Facilitator
- Enjoy children, learning, traveling, art and nature
- Member of ASCD 2003-2009, Learn. Teach. Lead., formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
- Research about Project and Problem-Based Learning, Career Academies, Non Traditional Education, Flipped Learning and Online Learning