Honor Society® member
Vanessa Renae Hopkins
- Central Michigan University
- Education: Administration
- Class of 2015
- MEMPHIS, Tennessee
Member since November 2015
About
I have always achieved what I set my mind to, despite the obstacle. I am the first in my family to receive a four year college degree, as well as subsequent degrees. I hope to inspire my nineteen nieces and nephews to put aside excuses and continue their education. I understand their apprehension, especially as it relates to cost. I have always been solely responsible for the cost of my education. While pursuing my BS, I will admit that I did not research enough about debt or scholarships. There were a number of family struggles, including financial, during the first two years and my overall GPA was 2.75/4.0. In my major course work it was 3.2/4.0. I pressed on to graduate in four years in order to begin working as quickly as possible. I always knew I would go back to school although sometime passed. I am proud to say that in my Master’s coursework I had a 3.97/4.0 and in the Ed Specialist it was 3.94/4.0. In the totality of both programs I have only received one B, as I worked full-time and volunteered extensively with my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.
Education
-
Central Michigan University
Educational Specialist in Educational Administration
2008 – 2013
Honors and awards
-
Achievement and Excellence Awards
Job Related: Atlanta Public Schools and Memphis City Schools
Goals and interests
- Career goal
I have been in every facet of classroom support from substitute teacher, to para-professional, to classroom teacher, to content area department chair and to assistant principal. Currently, I serve as District Instructional Literacy Coach. In this position, I act as district liaison between Office of Academics and assigned schools. I am charged with creating school-wide, small group, and individual plans to ensure the effective integration of the district literacy initiative for four schools. I also provide direct coaching, modeling, and professional development with monitoring systems that create positive, sustained changes in teacher practice. My goal is to become a turn-around principal in a high urban area. After the principalship, I plan to become the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for an urban school district.
- Graduate school interests
My professional goals are few but significant:
Goal #1: To complete my research on the issues affecting educational attainment of minorities since the Brown v. the Board of Education (Topeka, KS) decisions through the University of Mississippi PhD program.
Goal #2: To begin my writing career on various issues affecting education in the United States.
Goal #3: To accept a Principalship in an urban setting that allows me to demonstrate that building capacity in teachers builds attainment in students. Eventually, I hope to become Director of Curriculum and Instruction followed by Superintendent.
Goal #4: To write and implemented a comprehensive curriculum at vertically aligns standards and horizontally (among grad levels and/or bands) to connect subject areas in deep ways that demonstrates connectedness and cohesive thought, ensuring that students experience education in a real way.- Outside the classroom
Reading
Speed Walking
Volunteering
Volunteering
-
Co-Chair of Education Committee
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Mar 1993 – Nov 2015
